


My Enemy, My Ally

by embersofamber



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Akksul is life, Akksul is love, Akksul/Original female character, Alien sexings, Angst, Erotica, F/M, Fluff, I haven't written in forever so this may suck, I wanted an Akksul fic but nobody else will write it, I'm in love with all Angarans, I'm not sorry, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jaal Ama Darav/Sara Ryder, Original Angaran Characters, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 08:16:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10850034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embersofamber/pseuds/embersofamber
Summary: Akksul always hated aliens, and after what he suffered at their hands he had every right. Would a human thrown into his path prove to be different, or something else to be destroyed?





	1. Monster

**Author's Note:**

> My musical inspiration for this chapter, listened to on endless loop while writing:  
> Monster by EXO  
> Monster by Imagine Dragons

Chapter One: Monster

 

* * *

 

_ One year earlier _

 

Akksul threw his pistol down, choking on a breath. He had _shot_ Jaal. He was a fellow angaran, not an alien. Not a threat... _he was_ _a friend,_ _once_ _._

 

He balled his hands into fists, thoughts skittering through his mind, none of them making sense.

 

… _.not an enemy_

 

_...an angaran_

 

… _.who did he hate, really?_

 

_Kett?_

 

_The humans?_

 

… _..himself…?_

 

Looking up at the beauty of the Havarl sky, Akksul considered what to do next.

 

He needed some time to think; to figure everything out.

 

He had to get away.

* * *

 

_To: Ryder_

_From: Akksul_

 

_Human,_

 

_"To hate blindly is as dangerous as to trust blindly." An old angaran_

_proverb, one of many I have forgotten somewhere along the way._

 

_This is not an apology. I don't know if I will ever be able to look upon an_

_alien and not feel hatred. But what I did to Jaal was wrong. So I must_

_try._

 

_Akksul_

 

* * *

 

 

_ Present day _

 

Akksul stood impatiently, unseen among the luscious fronds and winding vines of Havarl, watching the different aliens coming and going from what was once a thriving daar of his people. He frowned deeply, mentally naming each kind he saw: _a_ _sari, turian,_ _salarian._ _….human…_

 

_Human_ _. Like the pathfinder._

 

He had recently watched the vids celebrating the success of the joint venture of allies against the archon. Many races banded together to fight the kett, which ended in the death of their leader at the place called Meridian. An impressive feat, he grudgingly admitted, no matter his personal opinion of the Milky Way aliens. He could not control his shock however, when he saw Jaal and the pathfinder embracing and kissing like lovers for all to see. He had heard rumors prior to that, but he had given no credence to it, thinking the whole idea ridiculous.

 

But no, it was obviously true. He found himself curious as to how that worked exactly, despite the initial revulsion. He had not yet researched human sexuality, more interested in their aggression than reproduction, but perhaps he should arm himself with further knowledge. Were human and angaran that biologically compatible, or…

 

He was interrupted from further ruminations by the welcome return of Thelen, one of his most trusted compatriots.

 

“Akksul,” he said urgently, pressing a data pad into his waiting hands and nodding toward it. “The nav point is there, along with everything else the Resistance knows about the facility.”

 

Clutching the data pad eagerly with both hands, Akksul took a moment to smile at his friend. “Is Miren still your contact here, or was there someone else you had to sweet talk this time?”

 

He grinned and clapped a hand to Akksul’s shoulder. “Yes, still Miren as before. All our exchanges are _very_ pleasant.” After a shared laugh, Thelen sobered and nodded toward the data pad. “When do you want to leave?”

 

Akksul took a deep breath and turned to where their shuttle was hidden, his steps determined.

 

“We will leave immediately after we gather the others.” He frowned, face grim. “There’s no time to waste. I only hope this information is correct and we aren’t too late.”

 

* * *

 

 

Akksul sat in the back of the shuttle, an outward picture of confidence and calm while his insides churned with anxiety and an edge of panicked fear. But that was not something he would allow the others to know, he needed them to keep focus on the mission at hand.

 

He could see the endless ice of Voeld through the front window of the shuttle, this planet where he had spent much time in misery and despair...and anger. He banished the memories of those times from his thoughts; they must hold no sway over him today.

 

They were nearly to the nav point. All that remained of his fighters were ready, talking quietly among themselves. These were the ones who remained with him; who still believed in him when all others trickled away. The kett were still a malignant threat, even if the other aliens seemed less so in recent times. This was not the time to let their guard down, but to stay as vigilant as ever.

 

He checked each pistol and his assault rifle a final time, moving to the door as the shuttle set down. He turned toward his fighters, meeting the eyes of each one in turn.

 

“Come,” he said, in a voice vibrating with conviction, “our brothers and sisters are eager for liberation, and the kett for death. Let us not keep them waiting. Roekaar!”

 

“Roekaar!” they yelled back.

 

* * *

 

 

It was night...or was it day? There was never a way to tell with no windows and very little light to see by.

 

Katherine Johnson lifted a shaking hand to brush the wisps of hair from her eyes, wishing she had something left to tie the long, dirty strands back with. It had been some time since she lost all the pins that usually kept her bun in place, and even the hair tie was gone now. Lost, taken or broken, she didn’t know which.

 

The kett bastards went out of their way to make the prisoners as miserable as possible, keeping them isolated from each other in individual containment cells, and giving them just enough nourishment to keep alive. The only time Kat was ever taken from her cell was when “ _Blacky_ ”, which was what she had dubbed the cruelest one who interrogated her, decided it was time to beat on the human. It was just a guess, since she saw no other prisoners besides the ones in the large room, but she seemed to be the lone human among the angaran prisoners.

 

Her interrogations seemed less about gaining any information about humans and more about threatening her race and telling her how wretched and unworthy she was of receiving their “gifts”.

 

_The sick fucker._

 

When she closed her eyes, all she saw was Blacky’s cruel face smirking at her, laughing at her pain when he hurt her. Purring at her in a way that almost sounded sexual when he cut her…. Gasping, she shuddered and opened her eyes wide, trying to block out the memory of the latest session, even as she felt the pain he inflicted all over her body.

 

For the millionth time, she wondered if the other members of her squad made it out of the ambush she stumbled into, or whether they were captured. Kat refused to entertain the notion of their deaths. Marcus and Cato were both tough Turians and they had a lot more combat experience than she did. Surely they made it out and informed Kandros of her capture. Maybe.

 

She huddled closer in on herself, trying to stop the eternal shivers she had suffered since her capture. The containers the prisoners were kept in were heated, but never enough for her to actually feel warm. Kett, and apparently angara as well, did not seem to suffer as much from cold.

 

“Katherine,” came a strained whisper from somewhere to her left. “Are you awake?”

 

Shifting forward so she could see her young friend, Kat tried to smile, but based on the worried look Zareena was giving her, the attempt was not reassuring.

 

“He was very hard on you today, wasn’t he?”

 

Taking a deep breath, Kat tried to ignore all the bruises and cuts that were throbbing and burning, at least thankful there were no broken bones. Blacky seemed to know just how far he could push without actually killing her or breaking anything. Better not to dwell on how he had become such an expert, or how many others he had practiced on before she came along.

 

She shrugged, “I’ve had worse. Remember the time I told you I jumped off the roof of my house onto a mattress when my brothers dared me to?”

 

“Was that the time you broke your arm?”

 

Katherine smiled sadly and nodded. “Yeah, that was it.” She squinted at her angaran friend, trying to see her in the dim light. “Are you okay, Zar? Did they feed you today?”

 

Zareena nodded vigorously. “Yes, don’t worry about me, I am well enough.” She twisted her hands together, concern in her eyes. “Katherine….you mustn't keep drawing their ire just to protect me and the others, I’m worried for you.”

 

“But I don’t want my kett boyfriend to look at anyone other than me.” She batted her eyelids and smirked as Zareena’s mouth fell open in horror.

 

“You’re….you are not serious, are you? But that is an impossibly disgusting thought!”

 

Laughing quietly, Kat shook her head, still trying to make light of her injuries. “No, but I do prefer he stay focused on me rather than you. Early life with my brothers prepared me for pain, to some extent. Plus, I’ve had training in case of capture.”

 

Nothing really useful _,_ but the angaran girl didn’t need to know that.

 

Zareena was quiet for a moment, digesting her words before asking her next question. “Your skin is not supposed to be so many colors, is it?”

 

Kat glanced down at the blues, greens and yellows mottled all across the visible skin of her arms. “It’s just bruising, it’ll heal in time.” _Maybe,_ she thought silently to herself. _If he ever stops hurting me._ She resolutely refused to think about any of the cuts on her back, since they were hidden and there was absolutely nothing she could do about treating them.

 

“I’m frightened, Katherine,” Zareena said, voice thick with tears. “What if we can’t ever get out? Will we die here?”

 

Rolling so she was sitting on her legs, Katherine placed her hands on the clear barrier of her containment pod and looked at Zareena, putting all the conviction and bravado she could muster into her voice.

 

“Now you listen to me, young lady...you are not to lose hope. We _will_ get out of here. In fact, I’ve been working on a plan.” _Never mind that_ _that_ _was a lie,_ she thought with a pang of guilt, but went on before she lost her nerve _._ “Another reason I want them to keep picking on me, is I get to see more of the layout of this place...” Her voice trailed off and she smiled when she saw Zareena’s face brighten, looking at her like she hung the stars in the sky.

 

“I promise. I promise not to lose hope again, Katherine. As long as we have each other.”

 

“Good, now get some sleep while you can. Who knows when they’ll be back to pester us again.” Kat laid down and closed her eyes, concentrating on keeping her breathing slow and steady while she waited for the pain to dim from a roar to a dull throb. All she allowed herself to hope for was the courage to face another day. She was too afraid to wish for anything more.

 

* * *

 

 

When Kat woke it was to the sound of explosives and gunfire. While the ground shuddered, she reached out a hand to steady herself against the barrier and gasped to feel open air, the barrier gone.

 

_Someone must have cut the power._

 

The silence that followed seemed ominous and had her straining to hear any sound at all.

 

Moving forward, she groped the empty air, searching for the pod next to hers. “Zareena,” she whispered urgently, “are you there?”

 

Others were whispering and moving in the dark, having also found themselves free.

 

She felt her at the same time she heard her.

 

“I’m here!”

 

They pulled each other into a tight hug, breathing a laugh in relief. It was mere seconds later when all the lights turned on in a bright flash. They were both blinded by the sudden brightness, but Kat quickly recovered and pulled Zareena behind some containers to hide, unsure who might be coming through the doors.

 

She peeked out and blanched when she saw Blacky flanked by several guards. Her stomach dropped and her heart started pounding a staccato rhythm, adrenaline flooding her system. Reflexively her grip on Zareena’s arms tightened while her mind scrambled for a plan.

 

“Okay… Listen, I need you to stay here and I’ll draw their attention. When they’re focused on me, I want you to run like hell for the door. Get out, and don’t look back, you hear me?”

 

“No!” Zareena wailed, and flung her arms around Katherine’s neck, clinging tighter to her than before.

 

Kat grimaced and eased out of her grasp enough to lean out from the containers to see what was happening. Blacky was very close now, and she could see he was focused solely on their hiding spot, breaking into a jog when he locked eyes with her, one side of his mouth curling up into a smirk.

 

Fighting had broken out on the other side of the room, the sound of shouts and gunfire coming as from a great distance. Everything narrowed to the creature who was bearing down on her and the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears, war-drums of vengeance.

 

Standing, she shoved Zareena hard enough to knock her back into the safety of cover as she stepped out and walked toward him. Gathering all the biotic power that she could manage into her hands, Katherine pushed it all forward, knocking the kett back a dozen feet where he smashed into a console before falling to the floor, momentarily stunned. Running forward, Kat quickly snatched the dagger off of his belt...the same dagger he had used on her so many times….

 

“You’re”

 

_stab_

 

“a _fucking_ ”

 

_stab_

 

“ _ **Monster**_!” she screamed with every bit of pent up rage.

 

Stumbling back, she dropped the dagger and fell to the floor in a heap, her shaking legs no longer able to hold her weight. Kat was breathing so fast her vision started to swim, not quite able to process that she had actually managed to kill her tormentor. Leaning forward she rested her head against her knees, her hair falling around her like a curtain.

 

* * *

 

 

Akksul strode down the hall of the prison facility, a pistol in each hand as he dispatched kett after kett, almost casually. He was flanked on his right by Thelen, and on his left was Thelen’s brother, Virron, both crack shots.

 

The tension was building in Akksul’s shoulders as he came closer to where the prisoners were kept. The layout was similar to so many other facilities he had been in over the years. Pushing open the doors to the detention area, he scanned for any kett, shooting one guard in the back while the brothers fanned out and eliminated any stragglers.

 

Akksul held up a hand to stop his warriors from moving forward, watching while a kett went flying across the room in a burst of blue light, closely followed by a human with murder in her eyes. The scream she released echoed in the space, the primal sound striking a note of empathy from him before he squashed it, focusing on the mission at hand. Observing that the last kett lay dead, he gave orders regarding the prisoners and looked beyond the human, seeing the one person he had come for.

 

Holstering his weapon, he moved swiftly forward and laughed, catching his sister’s slight form against his own, lifting her in the air and spinning her with pure joy as she cried tears of relief and happiness.

 

“Akksul, you came for me! I’m so sorry, brother, it happened so fast,” she sobbed into his chest.

 

He shushed her, holding her tenderly. “Don’t be sorry, Zareena, you’ve done no wrong.” Akksul held her at arm’s length, examining her. “Are you injured? Did they hurt you?”

 

Zareena pushed out of his arms and turned toward the human, gesturing toward her. “No, this is my human friend, Katherine. She never let them hurt me. She made them hurt her instead.” With a worried look toward her brother, she knelt down next to Kat and pushed her hair back so she could see her face.

 

Looking down at the human, Akksul frowned and lowered himself so he could look her in the eye. “Human, can you walk? We must leave this place now.”

 

Katherine studied his face, from his stern expression, to the orange markings across his features. Finally, she nodded and looked down. “I think I can, but I may need some help. I’m sorry, I’m very weak right now, I used the last of my strength on that bastard.” She jerked her chin toward the dead kett.

 

Zareena helped Katherine to her feet, but when she swayed unevenly, her face going an even paler color, Akksul scowled and made a sound of annoyance, leaning down to scoop her up.

 

Kat gasped in pain, her eyes going wide as she looked at him then slamming shut, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

 

“Be careful of her, brother, she has wounds on her back too, I think.”

 

Akksul shifted, trying to gentle his hold, then gave up and started walking quickly, ready to be out of the facility. He checked to see his sister was keeping pace, pausing to give orders to one of his men before heading for the shuttle.

 

Kat leaned her head against the burly angaran’s shoulder and let herself drift off in a haze of pain and fatigue, grateful to finally feel safe.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 


	2. Alien

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akksul and Katherine get acquainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the wonderful kudos and comments! I can't begin to express how much I appreciate the amazing feedback. 
> 
> My musical inspiration for this chapter: Shatter Me by Lindsey Sterling and Lzzy Hale; Wake Me Up by B.A.P.

**Chapter 2: Alien**

 

* * *

 

 

The vibration of the shuttle woke Katherine with a start, the panicked realization of not knowing where she was causing her to sit bolt upright with an audible gasp. Blue light glowed from her hands and her heart began to race as she glanced wildly around her.

 

A hand grasped her shoulder, a thrum of energy and warmth spreading over her from the point of contact. She turned to face the same big angaran who had carried her earlier, calming at the unfamiliar but comforting sensation of his touch.

 

“Be at ease, human,” he murmured quietly. “There is no threat here.”

 

She glanced around, taking in what she could in the dim light. The shuttle was packed full of angaran prisoners, as well as their rescuers, some sitting, others standing or lying down as she had been, asleep.

 

“My name is Katherine, not human,” she huffed, rolling her head in a circle until her neck gave a satisfying crack. “Are you from the Resistance?” She turned and looked at him hopefully, wondering if she might soon be able to send a message to Kandros.

 

He crossed his arms and examined her silently for a moment before he answered, his sharp gaze sizing her up and making her suddenly feel very self-conscious and aware of her raggedy state, clad only in what was left of her fitted, black under-armor, one sleeve ripped entirely off. The kett had been very thorough after her capture, confiscating everything else. Kat swiped her hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she’d had since she was a girl.

 

“No, we are not from the Resistance.” One side of his mouth quirked up in a mocking smirk. “I am Akksul, leader of the Roekaar.”

 

Her eyes widened at his admission, fragments of reports she had read some time ago about Roekaar activity and aggression coming back in a rush. “Oh,” she breathed, uncertain of what else to say. His people hated hers, didn’t they? Katherine glanced around again, checking to see if anyone looked hostile, but no one even seemed to be paying her any attention at all.

 

“I see you’ve heard of us. I’m not going to kill you, if that’s what’s worrying you,” Akksul stated casually, as though he were discussing the weather. “Unless you give me cause, of course.”

 

What response was she even supposed to give to something like that?

 

“Uh…thanks, I guess?” She cleared her throat nervously, about to ask him what his plans were for her, but he interrupted her erratic thoughts.

 

“You are a fighter for your people? Is that how you were taken captive?”

 

Kat bit her lip and nodded. Surely there could be no harm in giving him some very basic information about her role, it might even show him that she was no threat to him or any of the angara. “I’m part of a small Apex reconnaissance team. We mainly gather intel on kett movement and activity, but screwing over the kett any way we can is our primary objective.”

 

Akksul hummed in interest and leaned forward, resting his arms against his thighs. “You are a biotic? Is that the correct term?”

 

Turning slightly so she was facing him, Katherine nodded again, her mouth twisting ruefully. “Yes, that’s correct. I do have some biotic ability. I’m not extremely powerful or able to sustain for a long time, but I can manage short bursts in combat when needed. Mainly, I tend to rely on my rifle.”

 

She felt a pang of loss when she thought about her sniper rifle. Kat had modded the Viper under the guidance of her squad leader, Marcus, and it sang in her hands.

 

“I would like to see a demonstration of your abilities when you are recovered. I find this biotic power...interesting.”

 

“I guess so, uh, sure….” she stammered uncertainly.

 

The rocking of the shuttle preparing to land threw Kat off balance and she grabbed onto Akksul’s legs to steady herself, then snatched her hands back just as quickly when her skin started to tingle strangely.

 

He nodded to someone behind her and stood, pinning her with a threatening glare. “Stay put until I return. You are not to move from here.”

 

Scowling at his back, she mentally flipped him off as all the angara began filing off the shuttle until she was the only one left. It wasn’t as if she were going to attack anyone, especially not in her compromised condition. Lifting herself up, she stretched as much as her injuries allowed and settled onto the bench Akksul had vacated. It was cushioned and far more comfortable than the hard floor. It would probably even make a decent bed, in a pinch.

 

Kat was just about to lay down and test it out when Zareena came bounding in, with Akksul following behind at a more sedate pace.

 

“Katherine!” she shouted happily and hugged her enthusiastically. Kat was so happy to see her young angaran friend who she had suffered so much with that she held her tightly in her arms and felt tears of relief begin to well up. When she recovered some control over her emotions, she finally pulled back, grasped Zareena’s face in her hands and peppered her with kisses all over her cheeks which had them both laughing.

 

“Did I tell you, Zar? I knew we weren’t going to die in that cursed place! We just had to hang tough.”

 

Zareena’s smile grew impossibly wider as she nodded. “I could never doubt you, I was so lucky to have you with me, offering me comfort and protecting me like a big sister. I can never thank you enough.” She grinned at her brother, who was watching them with his eyes narrowed and massive arms crossed, before turning back to Kat. “Akksul says I must go to our mothers now, but that I can come back and visit you soon!”

 

“Oh.” Katherine felt like someone had punched her in the gut, not prepared to be parted so suddenly from the only ray of sunshine she had had during their months of captivity on Voeld. Her smile faltered but she recovered quickly, glancing briefly at Akksul’s inscrutable expression before focusing on Zareena again, reaching to caress the girl’s cheek tenderly.

 

“Of course you need to go to your family, they must have been so worried for you, just….” She took a shaky breath before continuing. “Thank you for being my bright spot in that hellish place, Zar. I’ll always love you for it, and if I don’t see you again….don’t forget me.”

 

Zareena moved to rest her forehead against Kat’s, pulling back after a moment and nodding. “We will see each other again, Katherine Johnson, sister of my heart. Akksul promised!” With a final bright smile, Zareena ran for the door and was gone.

 

Kat turned to face the wall of the shuttle, wrapping her arms around her middle, tears running silently down her face as the minutes passed. The months of cruelty, pain, fear and uncertainty were finally demanding a release.

 

She and Zareena had managed to keep each others spirits up, but now she just felt so very _alone_. So empty. She needed…something.

 

The warm, firm touch on her shoulder had her turning without conscious thought, the brief look of surprise on Akksul’s face through the watery veil of her tears not deterrent enough to keep her from seeking the comfort from another being that she so desperately needed. Stepping close, she slid her arms around his middle and laid her cheek against the center of his chest, her head settling just under the ridge of his orange armor, tears continuing to flow from under her closed lids.

 

“Please,” she whispered into his leather-covered chest, “just hold me for a minute?”

 

They may not be the same species, but she had seen flashes of sympathy in his eyes from the first time she looked at him. Surely there must be some understanding through the shared suffering of their species under the kett. Kat was so starved for any touch of kindness that she was even willing to risk his rejection.

 

He was perfectly still for several seconds before he slowly wrapped his big arms around her, his hands settling very low on her back and hips as he thoughtfully attempted to avoid her injuries.

 

It was a balm to her spirit when he didn’t push her away and she sighed with gratitude and relief, sinking deeper into him and allowing him to take most of her weight, the fatigue and weakness still riding her heavily. Kat smiled, her tears easing when she felt him stroke her hair, first tentatively, then with less hesitance when her arms tightened around him in wordless encouragement.

 

“I did not know that humans felt so deeply,” Akksul said, his rumbling voice a pleasant vibration against her. She wondered if she could actually fall asleep standing up, the warm hum of his bioelectrics lulling her into drowsy comfort.

 

“I don’t speak for every human, but **_I_** feel deeply. I always have. Sometimes you just really need the comfort that a hug from another person brings, right?” She drew a breath, her arms tightening around him again briefly before she released him and stepped out of the warm circle of his arms, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Thank you for that,” she said quietly.

 

He had a long lock of her hair between his fingers, staring at it curiously before he dropped it, his hands returning to his sides. “You care for my sister.”

 

The shuttle had begun to move again and Kat sat down, even more drained after her emotional release. She rested her head back against the shuttle wall and locked eyes with him, admiring the beautiful colors, flecks of darker blue and even speckles of gold in a sea of lighter blue. Angaran eyes were so easy to get lost in, like the stars.

 

“I love her,” she stated simply, “and I always will. Zareena is precious to me; like a sister I never had.”

 

Akksul’s brows rose in surprise. “I see.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but after a silent moment where they stared at each other, each occupied with their own thoughts, Akksul nodded and moved to the front of the shuttle and began conversing quietly with the pilot.

 

Too tired to even sit up any longer, or to worry about where they were headed next, Katherine laid down on the bench, using her arm as a pillow, and fell into a deep sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Akksul stood with arms loosely at his sides, watching dispassionately as Saabir, their medical expert, undressed the human female, having first sedated her so he could tend her injuries without causing her more suffering. He referred frequently to the information Akksul had sent to him on human biology and medical treatment.

 

When her back was fully bared, Saabir made a sound of sympathy and looked at Akksul. “This _vesagara_ has suffered.” Running a gentle hand down her bruised arm, Saabir grunted. “As soft as her kind is, you wonder at how it is not more severe.”

 

Crisscrossed cuts and partially scabbed wounds covered her back, some oozing fluid, the raised and puckered skin an angry red in color. A motley of purple, blue and yellow bruises surrounded the open wounds. It had clearly all been done for no other reason than to bring pain.

 

Akksul’s emotions were not at all calm as they appeared on the surface. He could never see the evidence of kett torture without reliving a portion of what he had gone through himself; not only the pain and uncertainty, but the slow death of _hope_. As each month passed and the Resistance never came, he arrived at the bitter realization that no one else would ever save him; he must save himself.

 

The longer Akksul stared, the more the old rage boiled inside of him, an impotent fury begging for some kind of release. “Do what you can for her,” he said, unable to keep some of the growl from his voice, before he turned abruptly and left.

 

He stalked across the compound and headed straight for the gun range, very quickly emptying both pistols into the furthest target, imagining a kett head in place of the practice target he shot.

 

Thelon walked up and stood quietly, watching while Akksul emptied another clip into the target. “Your sister was well? Saabir found no injuries on her?”

 

Akksul turned and walked to a workbench where extra ammunition and supplies were kept and began to dismantle his guns for cleaning. He pursed his lips and nodded.

 

“Zareena was a little undernourished, but otherwise fine. No injuries at all, surprisingly.”

 

The wind blew and the gust brought small droplets of rain with it. Thelon bent and pulled a weed from the ground, twirling it between his fingers. “What of the human? What do you plan to do with her?”

 

Akksul drew in a breath. “I want to study her. To learn more of the humans than I can from vids and data pads. They seem to be the leaders among the aliens and it is time I knew more.” Akksul lifted his face, closing his eyes as the refreshing drops of rain from the Aya sky dotted his skin. He glanced at Thelon before returning his attention to his guns. “The kett tortured the human woman, but not any of our people. I want to know why.”

 

Thelon shrugged his shoulders and let the weed fall from his fingers. “If the humans take the suffering that was once heaped on our people alone, perhaps they are of some use after all.” He laughed loudly when Akksul gave him a long-suffering look. “I know you will figure it all out, you always do. Will you come for a drink? Some of the others have already broken out the _tavum_.”

 

He gestured to his dismantled guns and shook his head. “Perhaps later. I still have some messages to answer, and I want to check in again with Saabir before I sleep.” Thelon waved and wandered off, humming quietly to himself, while Akksul returned to his task.

 

Unbidden, Akksul’s thoughts drifted back to the human woman. _Katherine._ He tested her name carefully in his mind, finding it different to any he had heard, but pleasing. He had been more touched watching her with his sister than he had shown, and again she surprised him when she sought comfort from him. _She took it,_ he thought with amused approval.

 

The few humans he had any contact with seemed to have very little emotion, much like the kett. His lip curled in disgust at the thought.

 

The Pathfinder had shown him some anger, but even that seemed so pale and calm compared to what he was used to. She had not even reacted when he shot Jaal! He shook his head in disbelief. If she truly cared for Jaal at the time, he could not understand her passive acceptance. Should anyone ever offer harm to one he loved… He popped the clip back into his pistol with an angry snap.

 

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and allowed his mind to return to calm. He looked across the compound, wondering what he would learn from this human. Akksul felt a rising excitement at the prospect.

 

* * *

 

 

“Can you bend forward a bit?”

 

Kat shrugged and leaned forward until her elbows rested on her knees, then lurched to the side and giggled at the slender fingers prodding her ribs.

 

“Watch it! My ribs have always been super ticklish.”

 

An exasperated sigh followed by more gentle fingers testing her back, making her shiver and goosebumps rise on her arms, then Saabir came to stand in front of her with data pad in hand. “You are as healed as I know how to make you, for now, all cuts sealed and there seems to be no damage to your nerves, which is fortunate. I would advise no overly strenuous activity for at least a week, then I can check you again.”

 

Grinning, Kat pulled the loose top she had been given to wear over her head, and hopped off the table. “Thanks, Doc, you’re a real sweetheart.”

 

Saabir huffed indignantly, pretending to be affronted, but softened and gave her a small smile and a pat on the head, then shooed her toward the door. “Go away now, little human, I have work to attend.”

 

Kat opened the door and stopped short, the female angara lounging outside with an assault rifle clearly waiting for her. “Human, you come with me. Walk in front.”

 

“My name is Katherine, not human” she sighed, for what felt like the millionth time. She might as well have it tattooed across her forehead in Shelesh for all the good it did her to say it.

 

She walked with her guard back across the compound to the room where they were keeping her, not surprised when the door closed behind her and the lock was engaged. It was certainly much nicer than the kett prison, with a real bed with linen and blankets, a small toilet, sink and shower, but it was still confinement and she resented it.

 

Sighing, she turned in a circle and noticed a pack in the corner that hadn’t been there earlier. Her pack! How was it even possible?

 

Hot _damn!_

 

Kat scooped it up and hugged it, grinning, then dumped the contents out onto the bed. Snatching up her omnitool with a racing heart, she attempted to check her messages but got an “unable to connect” popup. She swore under her breath, then turned to the other items. Fresh clothes and a few grooming bits and pieces, a week’s worth of rations, and some other odds and ends she carried with her out in the field. Notably absent was her backup Carnifex and extra rounds for it.

 

Kat shrugged. She blew a kiss directly at the surveillance camera and immediately stripped out of what she had been wearing, slipping into her own bra, panties and comfy civvies with a contented sigh. She bent down to pull her soft boots on and appreciated feeling somewhat normal for the first time since her capture.

 

Grabbing her hair brush, she began to remove all the tangles that she hadn’t been able to get out with her fingers. Sighing happily, Kat deftly wove the long strands into a braid and used an elastic band that she kept on the handle of the brush to secure the end. She fished through one of the inner pockets of her pack and pulled out her extra bobby pins, quickly wrapping her braid into a bun and securing it to her head.

 

Flipping up the small mirror on the back of her brush, she looked at herself, surprised that she looked mostly the same as she had before she went to kett hell. How could there be no outward signs of what she had gone through? She angled her head from one side to the other, but nope, her eyes were the same...an outer ring of blue, with green in the middle and a ring of gold around the pupil. She had her mother’s eyes.

 

She closed the mirror with a snap and turned her ’tool back on, pulling up her favorite playlist. Kat laid down, curling up on her side as music box sounds and sultry violins filled the room, followed by passionate vocals and booming bass.

 

Humming along, Kat found herself wondering where Zareena’s brother had gone. She hadn’t seen him since she fell asleep on the shuttle. He had stated that he was the leader of the Roekaar, so perhaps he had gone to wherever their base of operations was located. _Akksul._ A strong sounding name; it suited him. It was amazing to her that some angara had skin the same stunning color as their eyes. Of course, blue had always been her favorite color...

 

Before she allowed herself to start meditating any further on the curiosities of her rescuer come captor, she pushed off the bed and changed the music to something better suited to a quick stretching session. After months of being confined, her fitness level was utter crap and she worried she had lost some of her former limberness. She rolled her head in a circle and cracked her knuckles. Time to get busy.

 

* * *

 

Akksul sighed wearily as he entered the compound from the landing area. He had not planned on having to make a trip home so soon, but his mothers had been insistent that he be there for Zareena. After speaking to his sister extensively about her experience, he wasn’t sure how he should feel about the human woman, Katherine.

 

Clearly, his entire family were indebted to her for her protection of Zareena, but to be beholden to an _alien_? He especially felt the sting of it. Even if she had been astonishingly open with her affections and feelings toward his sister, which still surprised him greatly.

 

After checking in with Thelen that all was well in his absence, and Saabir as to the medical condition of the woman, he headed to see her for himself. He had a strange feeling in his stomach. Perhaps some of the fruit he had eaten?

 

Akksul disengaged the lock on the door and frowned at the loud noise coming from inside. His brows rose in surprise when the door slid open, to see the human bent double on the floor, her legs splayed out to either side of her torso in a most unnatural position. Did she require medical intervention?

 

“Human,” he called loudly. When she turned to him and smiled, then stood and punched something on her omnitool, causing the noise to cease, he allowed himself to relax slightly.

 

They stood staring at each other in silence while he took in her altered appearance. Dark pants and uniform top with the human logo, some sort of boots on her small, odd feet, and all her hair put away and no longer hanging free. He found he preferred it the other way, she looked very strange without the pale mass hanging down her back and shoulders.

 

She crossed her arms and smirked at him and he drew a breath and pointed to her head. “You look quite...” _Strange? Less attractive? Not that he would find her attractive, of course!_ _He could never be attracted to someone other than his own kind. Certainly._

 

“Yes?” she prodded.

 

He clasped his hands behind his back and allowed his expression to go blank. “Different,” he finally offered. “Are you comfortable in here, or is there anything you need?”

 

Kat snorted a laugh. “Since when is consideration given to a prisoner’s level of comfort? Even the nicest cage is still a cage. Speaking of which, why exactly are you keeping me prisoner?”

 

Akksul made a sound of annoyance in his throat and gestured to her with one hand. “You are not a prisoner, exactly. Perhaps more of a guest I am…cautious of.”

 

“Wait, what?” Laughing in earnest, she continued in an incredulous tone of voice. “Do you honestly think I’m a threat to you? I mean, look at you,” she waved at all his muscle and bulk for emphasis, “and look at me.” She swept a hand toward her own comparatively diminutive form. “I’m no boogeyman in disguise here!”

 

“Boogeyman,” he pronounced carefully. “That did not translate, can you explain?”

 

She rolled her eyes and made a mental note to try and remember not to use as many references unique to her culture when conversing with angara. “Well, it’s...a mythical being with supernatural powers and evil intent. My grandmother used to tell me the boogeyman would come and take me away if I did anything naughty.” Kat frowned thoughtfully. “I suppose human parents made up the boogeyman to scare their children into being good, although I’ve never really given it any consideration before now.”

 

“Ah, I understand, we have similar tales told to young angara to encourage virtuous behavior. As to whether you could be a threat to me...” His gaze swept her form slowly before meeting her eyes with his own. “It would be foolhardy to underestimate you; I have seen you throw a kett across a room with only your power, and kill him with his own weapon.”

 

Unable to bear the intensity of his eyes boring into her, she focused on the orange design running down his cheeks; they made her think of tears. “The circumstances were unique, as I’m sure you’re aware. That certainly isn’t something I’ve ever done before; more an act of passion when he threatened someone I cared for.” She cleared her throat softly, mildly uncomfortable with his assessment of her.

 

“So,” Kat smiled brightly, eager to change the subject. “I’m your guest?”

 

Akksul nodded gravely. “You are.”

 

Stepping forward, Kat extended her hand. “Why don’t we introduce ourselves properly, then? Uh, put your hand out like mine.”

 

Tilting his head curiously, he copied her pose, hand extended, and she stepped forward and clasped her hand to his and looked up at him. “This is how humans from my culture greet one another when they meet for the first time. Others cultures bow, or kiss...but anyway.” She took a deep breath and smiled. “Hello, I’m Katherine Elizabeth Johnson of Earth, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

A frisson of awareness tingled up his arm from their joined hands, neither of them wearing gloves, and Akksul smiled slowly. “Greetings Katherine Elizabeth Johnson of Earth,” his pronunciation of her name slow and precise. “I am Akksul du Renaav of Aya...” His deep voice dipped even lower as he gave her fingers a light squeeze, “...and the pleasure is mine.”

* * *

 

 


	3. Adversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Akksul butt heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical inspiration: Growl by EXO

**Chapter 3: Adversary**

* * *

 

Akksul leaned back in his chair, the very picture of cool and calm as he eyed the human sitting on a small stool on the other side of his desk. The question and answer sessions he had been engaging the woman in over the past several days were often as frustrating as they were enlightening. Yet, it seemed the more he learned about the human and her people the more dissatisfied he felt; his need to know even more almost unseemly. There were so many contradictions among the humans, but also many similarities to the angara. Her own motivations for her actions were still a mystery, but he was determined to discover them.

 

“Why did you come to Heleus?” His voice was a low rumble vibrating across the space, dust motes floating in the shaft of sunlight spilling through a small window behind him.

 

Kat sighed quietly. His interest had actually thrilled her at first, causing hope to bloom that they might become friends, but he seemed no less hostile than when they first met, and she remained ‘the human’ to him. She cast her eyes to the ceiling as though seeking help; his questions were never-ending and she was feeling mentally exhausted from the tenacious grilling. “I already _to_ _l_ _d_ you, the Andromeda Initiative was formed to...”

 

He made an impatient gesture with his hand, cutting her off. “No. Why did _you_ , personally, come to Heleus? Why would you make such a choice?”

 

She looked down at her clasped hands, an array of emotions sweeping over her as she thought about her journey to Andromeda. With no real ties to speak of, the Initiative had sounded like the chance of a lifetime, and the secret nature of the project further appealed to her. Really, her desire to come had boiled down to one thing - her love for discovering and learning about new cultures. Funny how reality worked out so differently to how you imagined it might, but then again, she always tried to expect the unexpected.

 

“I came for you,” she said with a rueful smile. When he frowned, she hurried to clarify. “Not _you_ , you, but the angara, and maybe other races we still have yet to meet.” The first time she visited the Citadel was foremost in her mind; the thrill and wonder at seeing different species, so different from humans. Her eyes shone with excitement when she spoke. “Other cultures, new mysteries to solve here and so much to learn. I mean, who even knows what’s still out there!”

 

Akksul rubbed his brow ridge to hide his disgust. His people had been fighting for basic survival for decades, scrabbling to merely exist, and humans had left the affluence and safety of their home worlds for...novelty? …boredom? It smacked of the very worst kind of arrogance and entitlement.

 

“You’re saying you left the security and comfort of your home for...some childish dream?” He scoffed, anger stirring deep inside. “And what of the kett, human? Do they also fit your fantasy of _adventure_?”

 

Kat recoiled as though he struck her. “Exploration is _not_ childish, it’s essential to prevent stagnation! When you stop learning and growing, you die.”

 

He barked a sharp laugh, rising to his full height, gesturing dramatically with one arm. “Perhaps you would like to unravel more of the marvelous mysteries of the kett. Was I mistaken when I saved you, or have the marks across your back finally taught you some much-needed caution?”

 

She sprang to her feet and glared, anger pulsing through her veins and blue light glowing around her frame. “You know what? Screw you! What do you actually know about meas a person? You’re a bitter, condescending asshole and I’m done talking.” Kat turned on her heel and stormed out of the small building, expecting every moment to be tackled by a guard or stopped by Akksul, but she was allowed to continue unhindered.

 

She didn’t slow until she was back to her room, wishing there were something she could break. _Like his smug face_ , she thought sullenly.

 

Pacing in a small circuit, she practiced calming breathing exercises until her heart rate slowed and some of the initial anger subsided. In actuality, what he said had really hurt. Akksul made the Initiative sound like a bunch of spoiled kids out joyriding, looking for shiny new toys, but they had all sacrificed everything to make the journey.

 

Kat massaged her forehead and felt a sudden wave of homesickness. Talking about the past stirred emotions she would rather not think about, especially in light of her current reality. What she wouldn’t give for a pint of rum and raisin ice cream to drown her sorrows in. She snorted at the thought, then sighed; that was more than six hundred years out of the question.

 

With a pang, she wondered what she had done to deserve such bad luck. First, confinement and physical torture by the kett, who hated her merely for what she was. Next, a sort-of rescue by someone bent on verbally and psychologically flaying her, who again, hated her for what she was.

 

_Am I ever going to catch a break?_

 

She rubbed her stinging eyes and sighed. In the absence of ice cream, she sunk down onto the bunk and gave herself over to brooding, finally curling up and falling into a fitful and restless sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Saabir eyed the female as he ran the diagnostic device slowly across her. Normally, she chattered endlessly when he examined her, but she seemed abnormally quiet and subdued on this visit, rarely lifting her gaze from the spot of flooring she was intently scrutinizing. He had heard the gossip about Akksul’s interrogation of the human, and the one the previous day which had ended in a shouting match and her angry exit. He wondered if that accounted for her altered behavior or if she perhaps just missed her own kind. He felt a rising wave of sympathy for the female; how hard it must be for her to be completely cut of from her family, and she looked very small and fragile.

 

“Why are you so quiet, human? Are you sad?”

 

Pursing her lips, Kat glanced at him and lifted one shoulder in a shrug, returning her gaze to the floor. “How else should I feel when everyone around me treats me with contempt and wants me dead?”

 

He reached out and lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his amused gaze before he released her. “If your death were wanted, do you really think we would feed you and give you medical care, hmm? Akksul has treated you so well because of your help of our people in the kett prison.”

 

She smiled slightly and tilted her head, pretending to really consider his words. “Akksul has treated me well, huh? Okaaaay, if you say so. I mean, if we’re comparing him to the kett, sure.” Kat laughed quietly at the annoyed look he gave her.

 

He tapped some information into a data pad, then returned his attention to her. “As to the contempt you mention, that is how we all felt when your people first came, but I would say now we are more wary of you.” Saabir’s gentle fingers felt along the sides of her neck. “After our history it is hard to trust or allow ourselves to like anyone who is not angaran. Do you understand?”

 

Kat drew her brows together and nodded. “I do understand, it’s just… it would be nice to be judged for who _I am_ , not by the worst of the outcast humans you may have heard of, and certainly not by what the kett have done to the angara.” She gave him a sheepish look, eyes pleading. “I’m really quite sweet and wonderful if you just got to know me even a little bit. Or at least have enough mercy to talk to me more before I die of a terminal case of boredom.”

 

He gaped at her for several seconds then threw his head back and laughed boisterously. She giggled at the sound, some of the tension draining out of her.

 

Still smiling, he shook his head at her, finally finished with his examination. “I will speak to Akksul about you being allowed to train on the practice course the others use. Now that you are healed, you need more exercise and you also need to eat more, you weigh less now than when you first arrived.” He consulted his angaran version of an omnitool and tilted his head and squinted at her. “This is because of biotics?”

 

“Please call me Kat. And yeah, biotics always have to eat more to keep up; more power burns more fuel.”

 

“Very well, Kat.” Saabir gave her an interested look and snatched one of the data pads from the stack nearby and turned it on, scrolling through the information until he found what he was looking for. “Can you show me some of this biotics? I have read about it, but I would like to observe you.”

 

She hummed thoughtfully then reached both hands forward, a blue glow emanating from them as a container holding supplies lifted off the shelf where it had been stored and floated across the room, dropping into Kat’s waiting hands. Smiling, she held it out for Saabir to take. He took it with a nod and placed it back on the shelf, then turned to her with an expectant look.

 

“More?” she questioned with a laugh.

 

“Of course!” He grinned enthusiastically, practically vibrating with eagerness.

 

Biting her lip, she slipped off the table and headed for the door, calling over her shoulder, “Come on, most everything else I can do requires lots of space.”

 

* * *

 

 

Akksul was just coming out of his office when Saabir walked out of the medical building, preceded by the human woman. They were smiling and conversing together, seemingly oblivious to all else, and Akksul felt the same achy pull deep in his gut that he had begun to feel anytime she was nearby. _Damn_ _her_ _._ It was distracting and annoying. Resolutely pushing the feeling away, he moved to intercept them, receiving a look of uncertainty from the woman and a pleased grin from Saabir.

 

“Ah, Akksul!” Saabir clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Kat is going to demonstrate her biotics for us, come and see.”

 

Lifting a brow ridge in surprise at the familiar use of the woman’s name, Akksul fell into step between them. He looked to his right and caught her staring at him, smiling to himself when she jerked her head forward, studiously ignoring him. They had not spoken since she lost her temper with him and left so suddenly. He lightly brushed his arm against hers, seemingly innocent, and smirked when she stumbled slightly before recovering her balance. Petty as it was, he enjoyed how easily he was able to affect the woman, and her expressive face was often easy to read.

 

When they were beyond the buildings in an open area near the training grounds, they stopped walking. Kat shook her hands out and looked at the two angara, seemingly nervous.

 

“Okay, well, without my armor and weapons I can’t really hit anything or I’ll hurt myself, so I guess I’ll just show you a simple charge?” Clearing her throat softly, she continued. “This is done to quickly close the distance between the soldier and the enemy, and would be immediately followed by a pistol or shotgun round to the head or chest to complete the kill.

 

She moved several paces away from the men, focused herself with a quick breath and shot across the field in a blur of blue biotic power. Seconds later, she flashed back to the area where she originally started, and pointed a finger pistol at an imaginary enemy. “Bam! Enemy down.”

 

Saabir stepped forward with a grin and closed the interface on his wrist, having recorded the demonstration. “That was marvelous! It must be thrilling to hurl yourself around that way in battle!”

 

“Provided you don’t get yourself into a situation where you become overwhelmed,” Akksul added.

 

Kat laced her fingers behind her back, a self-conscious blush staining her cheeks. “Yes, and that’s actually happened to me before, which is why I mostly stopped using my charge ability as an attack. There is another move that’s good to use in case of emergency, like being surrounded and overwhelmed, it’s called Nova, and it’s a blast of power that can knock enemies back, incapacitating or temporarily stunning them. The jump jets in my armor also make a huge difference in maneuverability.”

 

Having watched and listened attentively during Kat’s demonstration, Akksul finally stepped forward. “With these abilities, in addition to your weapons and armor, how was it that you were taken captive by the kett?”

 

Crossing her arms and leaning most of her weight on one leg, she shrugged. “Oldest trick in the book, divide and conquer. I took point during that mission and somehow got separated from my team. By the time I realized I was completely alone, I was surrounded by an entire kett squad and my communications had been cut off. I had a choice to suicide by kett or surrender, so I surrendered. Live to fight another day, and all.”

 

Akksul nodded his understanding. “That is what I would have done as well. The kett are sometimes careless and escape is often possible.”

 

She flashed him a quick smile and turned to Saabir. “Hey doc, I think I better do as you said and go eat, I’m pretty dizzy after that last charge.”

 

Clicking his tongue with concern, Saabir nodded to Akksul and took Kat’s arm to help her back to her room.

 

Akksul watched them leave, a thoughtful look on his face.

 

* * *

 

 

Still partially cloaked by the dark of predawn, Akksul stood in the shadows and watched Kat moving across the damp ground. She twisted gracefully with her strange legs, each brief pose slowly flowing into the next. He assumed it was some form of her training, but he had never seen anything like it and was intrigued. He wondered if she had trouble sleeping, or if she were an unusually early riser.

 

She straightened and turned, her eyes easily finding his in the dim light. “Spying on me?” Kat quirked a curious brow, following his movement as he approached her until they were mere feet apart.

 

His eyes roved across the features of her face, his gaze lingering on her frowning mouth and troubled eyes, and he posed his own question. “Why do you not sleep? I read that humans need an eight hour sleep cycle to remain healthy.”

 

She looked away and shook her head. “I normally sleep fine, but I’ve been having some bad dreams.” Her hand came up to rub her forehead and she winced in pain. “Plus, this headache has been plaguing me since yesterday. It’s an occasional side effect of my biotic implant.” Her other hand kneaded at a tense spot on one shoulder.

 

Akksul hesitated briefly before he stepped forward and brushed her hands aside impatiently, reaching to cradle her head in his much larger hands, sending gentle, healing pulses of his bioelectrics to her. She stiffened at the unexpected contact then slowly melted into his touch, closing her eyes and steadying herself with her hands resting loosely against his hips.

 

As the pain tapered off and then completely faded, she moaned softly in pleasured relief. The heat and vibrations he produced were very enjoyable; better than any therapeutic massage Kat had ever had. Slowly opening her eyes when his hands stilled, she found herself trapped by the intensity of his gaze, her heart thudding against her chest as it increased to a frantic pace. He studied her a moment longer then canted his head to the side, his brow ridges raised in inquiry. “Is that better?”

 

Swallowing to try and alleviate a suddenly dry throat, she smiled. “Yes, much better, thank you. That was,” she paused, searching for an adequate word to describe what he had done, “amazing.”

 

He stepped back, removing his hands from her head, one side of his mouth lifting in a half smile. “Good. Come with me.”

 

They walked down a path leading away from the compound and into denser jungle, weaving around bushes, trees and vines. The night had turned to a misty gray as they walked, when they finally cleared the trees atop a small ridge overlooking more jungle. Akksul stopped and extended a hand to Kat, pulling her up to stand beside him on a large, flat rock.

 

The first tendrils of orange light caressed the horizon, pushing back the grays and deep blues of night. They stood and watched, neither wanting to detract from the beauty before them by speaking. When the sun had cleared the line of trees and shone brightly across the cloudless sky, Akksul turned to regard her.

 

“I think you will find that the nightmares you suffer now will diminish over time.” He clasped his hands behind his back and turned his face forward again, the deep timbre of his voice vibrating on the moist air. “And in the light of day they have no power at all.”

 

She studied his profile; the line of his jaw, the firm set of his mouth. His eyes seemed less harsh and gentler than she had ever seen them. There were stories written on his face and in his eyes, if she only knew how to interpret them.

 

His lips lifted in a faint smile though he did not look at her. “You examine me very intently, Katherine.”

 

Seconds slipped by before she summoned an answer, the unexpected surge of pleasure she felt at his use of her name sending her thoughts skittering. “You sound as though you have some experience dealing with bad dreams.”

 

A large, scarlet-colored insect buzzed past, hovering briefly between them before flying off. The twittering and squawks of birds filled the air as the day began in earnest.

 

Akksul’s brow ridge lowered and his mouth tightened. “I do.” There was a finality to his words and Kat knew better than to pry, particularly when there seemed to be a fragile peace blossoming between them.

 

Biting her lip, she half turned to face him and reached her hand out, briefly touching his arm before she lost her nerve and let her hand drop. She glanced at his face again before focusing on the distant horizon.

 

“Thank you,” she whispered.

 

He looked puzzled. “For what?”

 

Inhaling the sweet morning air, she wrapped her arms around her middle to keep from touching him again. She could never keep her hands to herself when she was speaking with someone, a natural toucher, her mother had called her. It was something she had always been proud she had inherited from both of her affectionate parents. The memory was a sweet sting and brought a sad smile to her face.

 

“For sharing your wisdom and experience with me to bring me comfort...and...for saving my life.” She focused on where the toe of her boot was digging at a groove in the rock. “I should have thanked you before now, Akksul, I’m sorry.”

 

His deep chuckle broke the small silence and he rested a warm hand on the back of her neck, his thumb moving absently against the soft hairs there. “Even though you think me a ‘bitter asshole’?”

 

Kat looked up in surprise, her heart briefly in her throat before she relaxed, laughing in relief when she saw his wide grin. “Oh, you jerk!” She shoved at his chest playfully, trying to make him lose his balance and step off the rock but he trapped her hands in his own, quickly twisting them behind her back, forcing the front of her torso against his.

 

“And now? How will you escape me, Katherine of Earth?” He smirked triumphantly.

 

Kat had not thought Akksul had it in him to be playful, but she wasn’t about to argue. Any change from the animosity he had shown her previously was more than welcome.

 

She blew at a stray curl that had escaped her bun and kept flying toward her mouth with each gust of wind. Absently, she tested the strength of his grip. He was ridiculously strong; she couldn’t budge him or loosen his grip even slightly. _That wasn’t hot at all, nope._ She finally stopped struggling and met his challenging stare, feeling bold and a tad reckless.

 

“Violence isn’t my only recourse. I do have a _few_ other skills...” She bit her lip and lifted one leg high, hooking it around one of his, then nuzzled into his chest, inhaling his scent and scraping her teeth gently against the ridges of his chest that she could feel through the fabric of his clothing.

 

He hissed, one hand catching her chin and forcing her gaze up to meet his own, halting her assault. “What is this so-called skill? You turn into a wild adhi with ripping teeth when cornered?”

 

She scoffed in mock offense, trying to ignore how affected she was by being pressed so tightly against him.“It’s a distraction technique. If I decided to do more than nip you, you would definitely know it since you’d be knocked flat on your back. Besides, I smell much nicer than an adhi.”

 

He gave a hum of disbelief and lowered his head to graze his nose down her neck, inhaling deeply, just as she had done a moment earlier. He lingered at the place just behind her ear, a rumble of approval from his chest vibrating through them both.

 

Akksul flashed her a mischievous look. “You do smell a little sweeter than an adhi.” His smile faded when he looked down at her mouth, his thumb stroking slowly across her lips once... twice, before he seemed to remember himself, all traces of lightheartedness vanished in an instant. Releasing her suddenly as though he’d been burned, he jumped off the rock and started walking back the way they had come without a backwards glance.

 

Kat stood dumbfounded for several seconds, trying to figure out what exactly had just happened between them and how he managed to turn the tables on her joking flirtation so quickly. She was also chagrined to discover that she was uncomfortably hot and bothered in a way she hadn’t been in a very long time.

 

“Damn him,” she muttered under her breath.

 

* * *

 


	4. Ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical inspiration: Wolf by EXO; Shape of You by Ed Sheeran
> 
> I've been wrestling a bit with this chapter and I'm tired of editing now, so I hope it's acceptable if anyone is still reading this lol.
> 
> <3

* * *

 

 

_Breathe in._

 

_Breathe out._

 

_Site on target, squeeze trigger._

 

_Sprint forward._

 

_Roll into cover._

 

_Charge to enemy._

 

_Melee final target._

 

_Clear._

 

Kat rolled her shoulders and looked around, slowly coming out of the almost meditative state she slid into while on the training course. It was nothing at all like real battle, lacking the general terror, spikes of adrenaline and unpredictability of actual combat, but it was excellent for keeping your reflexes and skills honed. It was… relaxing.

 

_And isn’t that just ridiculous?_

 

“Come on, human! We’re waiting,” came an impatient yell from the start of the course.

 

Kat jogged up to the angara clustered together and smiled an apology, grabbing the long-sleeved tunic she had abandoned on top of an ammo box, having shed it due to the warmth of the day. She moved out of the way and off to the side a bit to stretch out the tightness in her leg muscles. While she certainly hadn’t been welcomed by all the angara at the compound, they at least tolerated her presence now without snarling every time she walked past.

 

“Spar with me, human.”

 

Kat froze mid-stretch, looking up in surprise. The pretty angaran woman looking down at her was a deep purple in color with lighter shades of lavender, and pink freckled patterns across her skin. Her expression was smug and confident, as though absolutely sure she would win. Kat had previously observed the other woman training, and knew her to be strong and quick.

 

Some competitive spark ignited in Kat’s chest and she smiled casually, climbing to her feet, already beginning to size up the other woman, attempting to recall any weaknesses she could exploit.

 

“Sure, why not? What are the rules?”

 

“The first one to have their opponent on their back three times, wins. No weapons.” She smirked and walked toward the sparring circle. “I’m Keva.”

 

“My name is Katherine, or you can call me Kat if you prefer.” She bounced from foot to foot, deciding to start with traditional Alliance style boxing, her hands curling into loose fists. The other angara not on the course gathered closer to watch. Kat blocked out everything but the other woman opposite her.

 

Bringing her arms up in a guarding position, Keva inclined her head. “I hope you enjoy lying on your back; I’m going to put you there many times.”

 

Kat snorted and gave a mock salute. “Let’s dance, Keva.”

 

They circled each other slowly, Keva being the first one to strike. Kat spun out of reach at the last second, landing a glancing blow on the other woman’s flank, but she paid for it, taking a hit to the head.

 

Dancing back out of reach, Kat shook her head a bit to clear it and was immediately rushed off her feet by Keva. Kat rolled, but Keva moved with her and had her pinned quickly. Laughing, she jumped off of Kat.

 

“That was too easy, human. I think this will be over even quicker than I thought.”

 

Rolling gracefully to her feet, Kat dusted her backside off and rolled her shoulders, her eyes narrowed in thought. Clearly, straight boxing would not win her this battle. She walked two steps forward and sunk into a deep pose, one arm extended to the side and one stretched out before her, lifting a brow and beckoning Keva with the hand extended in front of her, her smile predatory.

 

“Let’s see if you do as well against water,” Kat murmured.

 

Keva looked briefly confused before lunging forward again to attack. However she moved, Kat flowed around her, blocking or rolling just out of reach, using arm and leg movements that kept her center of gravity close to the ground. Twice, Kat swept Keva’s feet from under her and pinned her to the ground, an arm against the angara’s throat. Looking increasingly frustrated, Keva touched Kat during a pass, a crackle of bioelectrical power shooting from her.

 

Jumping back, Kat hissed at the pain and straightened with an angry glare. “Just what the hell was that? I thought you said no weapons!”

 

Keva lifted her chin defiantly. “It is from my body, it is not a weapon.”

 

Licking her lip thoughtfully, Kat glanced around at all the angara watching. The sun was high and the sweat was soaking the black tank she wore; her cheeks were red from her exertions. Scrubbing the back of her arm across her forehead, she wiped away the beads of perspiration before they dripped into her eyes. Keva had just given her an easy out and she intended to use it.

 

“Fine. Just remember they’re _your_ rules.”

 

In a blur of blue, Kat shot forward with enough power to knock Keva from her feet, and pulling her biotics around them she cushioned their fall, preventing injury to the other woman while pinning her to the ground again, thereby winning the match. Shouts of approval or hoots of derision came from the various onlookers.

 

Standing quickly, Kat extended a hand to the other woman. Keva looked at it for a moment with an angry frown on her face then finally took it and allowed Kat to pull her to her feet. They stared at each other for the space of several heartbeats before Keva gave a small nod of acknowledgment.

 

“You fight well enough. For a human.”

 

Kat laughed and bowed her head briefly out of respect for her opponent. “Thanks, but I’m sure if you were more familiar with my fighting style you would have kicked my ass. If you’re interested, I have files on my omnitool I could send you so you could familiarize yourself with my techniques.”

 

Keva gave a hesitant smile. “Yes, I would like that. I have never seen such fighting before. Can you teach me this?”

 

Canting her head to the side, Kat opened the interface on her ‘tool, calling up the files she needed. “I can show you some things, but I’ve never attempted to teach Tai Chi Chuan to anyone else before, so I may be a poor teacher.”

 

Keva opened her own interface, and her alert pinged seconds later. She scrolled through the information with avid interest, exclaiming over some of the positions that were demonstrated. “How can they bend in such a way? Is this normal for humans?”

 

Peeking at the picture, Kat laughed. “It’s only possible for humans that really work on their stretches and are very limber. It took months of practice for me to be able to do this.” Balancing on one leg, she grabbed the heel of her other foot and straightened that arm and leg until she was in a standing split. She dropped her leg again and pointed to another illustration. “I don’t know if you might be able to try that one? Anyway, all of these movements could easily be modified to work for the angara.”

 

Closing the interface on her wrist, Keva gave her a sharp slap on the shoulder. “This was good. Will you come and swim now? It is very hot.”

 

“Oh...swim? That sounds...” Kat felt a tingling awareness skittering across her skin and turned, already familiar with the invisible brush of Akksul’s energy, even when surrounded by other angara. Odd that he was the only one she ever felt that particular sensation from.

 

“Good training, Keva. You go on ahead with the others. I will show Katherine the way to the water after we speak.”

 

The training yard slowly emptied and Kat went to retrieve her tunic, Akksul falling into step beside her. “You wanted to speak to me?” Tying the arms of the tunic around her waist, she wiped the wetness from her brow again and looked up at him expectantly.

 

He brushed his fingers across her bare shoulder, dusting away some of the dirt that clung to her skin after rolling around on the ground. “I wanted to compliment you. I’ve been watching your training and I saw you sparring with Keva. You did well. In fact, you are far more skilled than I gave you credit for when we first met. I’m...impressed.”

 

Her brows climbed at his words. “Really? Well, thank you. I’m glad if you liked what you saw.”

 

“Yes,” Akksul brushed a thumb against her cheek, his voice pitched low, intimate. “I liked what I saw. Very much.”

 

Kat swallowed, unable to look away from his eyes and the intensity she saw there. She thought she had something she wanted to say, but when she parted her lips to speak she couldn’t remember what it was. He gave her a slow smile, and she wondered at the difference in his behavior. Was he actually flirting with her or just being more open and friendly?

 

_Get it together, Kat!_

 

“Um, so… Swimming?” She cleared her throat, her voice far more breathy than it should be when discussing paddling around in the water.

 

Taking her elbow, he guided her toward the treeline, leading her down a short but well-worn path. “That is another reason I wanted to speak to you. I’ve been reading about your species and humans seem much more reserved than angara.” He hesitated briefly and she looked at him expectantly. He smirked and gestured to the crystal clear water ahead of them as they emerged from the trees. It was full of his people. His people walking around with absolutely nothing on.

 

_Oh._

 

“Angara always swim naked. I believe your people do not do that?”

 

Her eyes widened as she saw more bare ass than she had the entire time she served in the Alliance. There certainly were quite a few physical similarities between humans and angara…

 

_Scratch that, they have much better booty than we do._

 

She felt the weight of Akksul’s eyes on her, and when she looked up at him it seemed he was enjoying watching her ogle his comrades. Kat tried to will herself not to blush, but as she felt the heat creeping up her face she knew it was a battle lost.

 

She laughed nervously. “Not as much, no. We’re more...private about nudity.” _Damn, the angara are just so…beautiful_ _._ “Maybe I should just go shower in my room? After all, I don’t want to intrude where I’m not wanted or make anyone uncomfortable.”

 

“Kat! Come over here with us!” Squinting in the bright daylight, Kat spotted Saabir in the water with two other male angara. He was grinning and beckoning her.

 

She gave a halfhearted wave and started trying to walk backward when Akksul caught her arm, his eyes bright with amusement. “You can see you are not unwanted. Is it that you are ashamed of your body?”

 

Kat narrowed her eyes at him. He seemed to be enjoying her discomfort just a little  _too_ much. “No, I’m not ashamed, but I don’t exactly want to be the local freak-show either. Has anyone here ever seen a naked human woman before?  And porn doesn’t count.” She crossed her arms and lifted a brow, waiting for his response.

 

H e tilted his head. “What is ‘porn’? And are you not eager to know more of the angara? We  often  like to socialize in this way, it is very relaxing.”

 

She could see Saabir approaching in her peripheral vision. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and really thought about it. Was a little skinny dipping amongst aliens such a bad thing? What was the worst that could happen? They might laugh and scoff  at the weird human ,  but so what?

 

“Oh...fine!”

 

Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with Akksul. She untied her tunic and let it drop, then whipped her shirt off over her head and pointed at him. “Strip. If I’m getting naked then so are you, big boy.”

 

He laughed loudly and began removing his clothing. “Of course. Now tell me, what is this porn you mentioned?”

 

Saabir stood politely waiting for them to finish undressing, completely comfortable standing there without a stitch on. Kat removed the pins from her hair and quickly undid the braid, letting the pale mass of waves fall down her back.

 

“It’s sexually explicit material, usually pictures or films created for arousal and titillation. There was a very popular publication in the Milky Way called Fornax. Lots of alien sex, any combination of species you can think of. I looked through an issue once, pretty hardcore.”

 

Bending, she removed her boots and socks, then shimmied out of her pants, leaving her in nothing but her sports bra and panties.

 

Akksul looked a little uncertain. “We have similar things, but only with angara. No aliens.”

 

She pulled off her bra and dropped it. “Understandable. The thought of kett porn is pretty terrifying, honestly.” Looking up, she was met with the sight of a naked Akksul and he was scrutinizing her breasts very intently, so she took a second to peruse his body as well. No obvious male equipment she could see at a quick glance, but otherwise...

 

_Very nice._

 

Finally, she slid her panties down and stepped out of them, then happened to glance around. She let out a nervous giggle at the number of eyes on her. Deciding to embrace it fully, she did a slow turn in a circle then gestured to herself.

 

“This is what a naked human female looks like, folks. I’m shorter and paler than most, but otherwise fairly average.”

 

Catching her hand in his, Saabir pulled her toward the water. “I have already seen you without clothes many times, the others will soon become used to you, do not fear.”

 

Kat snorted a laugh. “So what is your honest opinion of the human female form? You can tell me the truth, I won’t be offended. I’m sure I must look strange, maybe even off-putting?”

 

Saabir pursed his lips thoughtfully. “It is a pleasant enough form, I think. Angara and humans are biologically compatible in many ways, and I believe we are also compatible with another of your races, the asari.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Kat swam out deeper into the water. “Yeah, I think the asari are compatible with pretty much any race. They’re basically the sweetheart species of the Milky Way, everyone seems to be attracted to them, sexually or otherwise.”

 

Pulling the wet mass of her hair into a bundle in both of his hands, Saabir stared at it curiously for a moment before he met her gaze, a twinkle in his eyes. “Are you also attracted to the asari?”

 

Kat threw her head back and laughed, garnering smiles from several of the nearby angara. “That’s an absolute no for me, Saabir! While I can admire the beauty of the asari the same as I can other human females or female angara, I’m not attracted to women. I like men. A _lot_.”

 

He laughed, having caught Kat looking across the water to where Akksul was swimming with Thelon and Virron. “Do I detect a hint that you find male angara attractive?”

 

Her cheeks turned pink and she lifted a shoulder in a helpless shrug. “Why not? You guys are a mountain of muscles, you have enormously broad shoulders and narrow hips, asses to die for… Pretty much the ideal for what I find physically appealing.”

 

Saabir looked shocked. “Truly? Do other humans feel this way as well?”

 

She dipped her head back, wetting the rest of her hair. “Some do. I know there are human and angara couples on Kadara, and some on the Nexus and Hyperion as well, since Meridian. Do you find that distasteful?”

 

“No.” He floated closer to her, flipping to his back. “I have not experienced an attraction to a people other than my own, but I do not fault others for this.”

 

* * *

 

 

A short time later, Kat was standing in the waist-deep shallows, still chatting with Saabir when Keva joined them. Running a light hand across Kat’s back, she clicked her tongue.

 

“What did this?”

 

“Kett.” The single word was more than sufficient to convey to an angara all the horror and helplessness anytime kett were involved. They had dealt with it for so long as a people.

 

Wincing in sympathy, she nodded then gave Kat a considering look. “But you survived. You are stronger than you look.”

 

Skimming her hands across the surface of the water, Kat smiled slightly and squinted at Keva in the bright light. “I was trying to protect someone, so I think that gave me a determination and resolve I might not have possessed otherwise.” Tears sprang to her eyes at the memories of the fear and frustration of captivity.

 

Keva made a small sound and enveloped Kat in a tight hug, her bioelectrics warm and comforting. It was definitely a new experience, being hugged by another naked female, but Kat was touched by the intent behind the gesture and returned the embrace gratefully.

 

Releasing her, Keva patted her hair, briefly giving it a curious look and started swimming deeper into the water. “Come human, race me to the falls and back.”

 

Kat laughed at the abrupt change in direction and surged forward, her arms parting the water in front of her with smooth strokes. Keva had considerably more power and outstripped Kat very quickly, but Kat kept a steady pace until she saw Keva back at the shore, grinning triumphantly.

 

With a smile and a good-natured wave, Kat acknowledged her defeat and swam lazily back to where the falls crashed down.

 

* * *

 

 

Kat found a comfy niche just behind and to the one side of the falls with a flat piece of rock just wide enough to fit her bum. It was the perfect place to people watch, while leaving her obscured by the falling sheets of water. She squeezed out her hair and lifted it behind her to rest on the ledge supporting her back.

 

A large group of angara had begun a water game with something that reminded her of a coconut, although it was bright orange in color.

 

Akksul came through the falling water and she was again struck by their size difference. His arms and shoulders were so thickly muscled she was pretty sure he could bench press her with one arm. Her eyelids swept down, not wanting to be caught admiring him so openly.

 

“I see you have discovered the best location for spying.” He stopped just in front of her, standing easily with his greater height in water that went well over her head.

 

Flicking a finger toward herself, she grinned. “Scout and sniper right here; it’s kind of an occupational hazard. Besides, I thought it might be nice to have a break from all the staring.”

 

He rumbled a laugh and caged her in with his arms, each hand resting against the rocky ledge she had her back to. His energy surrounded her in an ebb and flow of invisible vibration, like standing too close to a powerful engine.

 

“I noticed you were doing a good bit of eager staring as well, so you cannot claim it was one-sided, hmm?”

 

Kat pressed her lips together briefly, attempting to stifle her laugh while her eyes danced mischievously. “I tried to spread my curiosity around though, but being the only one of my kind makes me the sole focus of a whole lot of eyes.”

 

He boldly swept the visible parts of her with his gaze, his smile predatory. “I think I do prefer to have you here, all to myself.” Leaning even closer until Kat could feel the heat from his skin against her own, he continued in a lower tone. “So I may do as I like with you.”

 

“And what would you like to...”

 

Kat’s lips parted slightly, eyes wide and breath coming faster as he stopped in front of her with no more than a mere whisper of space between their mouths, a challenge in his eyes. Heart pounding, she studied his expression before she closed the gap, pressing her lips against his with a sigh.

 

The careful, soft brush of their lips together was the only point of physical contact and belied the barely contained tension of their bodies. His mouth against hers was warm and firm, sending butterflies of awareness to her belly. Akksul gripped the rocky ledge even tighter, while under the water Kat pressed her hands against the same wall of rock to keep from touching him.

 

Pulling back slightly, he regarded her with a conflicted expression of both desire and shock, one hand coming to brush against her wet hair and down her cheek and jaw.

 

The only thing keeping Kat from pressing herself against him and seeking more of his lips against hers was the sound of shouts and laughter, the other angara separated from them by nothing more than a curtain of water. He seemed to be having similar thoughts, if the turn of his head towards the noise and the narrowing of his eyes were any indication.

 

Kat made a sound of surprise in her throat when Akksul was suddenly, unexpectedly flush against her, her head cradled in his hands so he could angle her to meet his lips, no longer careful or gentle, but eager. Hungry.

 

Her hands glided up his arms, mapping muscle and exploring dents and ridges while he thoroughly explored her mouth with lips and tongue. She teased him, pulling away and making him chase her for another kiss.

 

“Why do you run, Katherine, when you know I will catch you?”

 

Akksul retaliated by moving his hands to her backside and tugging, making Kat fall against his torso at the same instant his lips claimed hers again.

 

“Maybe because I want you to catch me,” she said breathlessly, between kisses.

 

A loud yell followed by a splash very close by had them breaking apart in a hurry. Kat was clinging to the wall again while Akksul stared at her from several feet away, both of them breathing heavily.

 

He quickly recovered his expression, giving nothing away of what had just passed between them, with the exception of his eyes. The unspoken passion and lingering intensity there sent a shiver of anticipation down Kat’s spine.

 

She felt like a mouse facing a very hungry cat, although she definitely felt more than willing to become Akksul’s dinner. When he continued to just look at her, she considered telling him she would likely spontaneously combust if he kept it up, but he moved towards the fall of water, turning to pin her with a final look.

 

“I will come to your quarters later, after dark. Wait for me.”

 

When she nodded in response, not able to form a coherent verbal reply, he dove under the water and was quickly lost from sight.

 

Kat released a breath, her emotions too tangled to make any sense of. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and let herself be soothed by the pounding and rushing water.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal head canon: Angara are happy nudists. XD


	5. Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A raid on a kett facility brings new complications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the extreme delay between updates. The end of the school year busyness was made worse by my catching the plague from one of my kids and spending the past two weeks attempting to cough up both of my lungs simultaneously. Ugh. 
> 
> So, anyway, this little story of mine is getting closer to the end now, just a couple more chapters left. Thanks for sticking with me! :)
> 
> Musical inspiration for this chapter: Save Me by BTS

 

* * *

 

Kat had been dreaming something very pleasant, smiling into her pillow when a sudden pain in her shoulder disturbed her and she slapped at it, trying to return to sleep. A snorted laugh near her ear and a harder poke on her arm made the final wisps of her dream vanish like smoke. The harsh light from the lamp near her bunk shone brightly, making her squint and blink, trying to adjust to the sudden glare.

 

“Come now, sleepy one, it’s time to wake up.”

 

Pushing herself upright, Kat rubbed her eyes and came fully awake, staring at the brightly amused eyes of her newest and most aggravating sparring buddy.

 

“Keva? Where’s the fire at? It’s still dark out, so why are you waking me?”

 

Tugging her to her feet, Keva tilted her head curiously at Kat’s questions and finally pulled her toward the door, explaining as they walked. “Akksul sent me to get you. We go to kill kett in two hours, and if you are to accompany us you must hurry and prepare.”

 

“Kett?” Digesting this news silently, she followed Keva to a building she had never been in before, her eyes going wide in surprise at what was clearly the Roekaar armory, lockers full of scattered pieces of armor and various weapons, grenades and other bits and pieces she couldn’t immediately identify.

 

Akksul stepped up to meet her and Keva walked off, her errand clearly done. Kat crossed her arms and stared at him blankly. The bastard had stood her up. She had fallen asleep waiting for him to show up for their supposed rendezvous, but she certainly wasn’t about to let him know it.

 

He studied her expression, finally lifting a hand to caress a lock of her unbound hair, staring at it distractedly. “What do you call this color, Katherine? It is not exactly white but nor is it yellow...”

 

“Platinum blonde,” she said flatly, flicking a finger toward his armor. “Does this mean it’s kett time?”

 

Nodding, Akksul twirled a curl around his finger before he dropped it and beckoned her to follow him. “Yes, I’ve just this night received information of a facility on Voeld that was previously unknown to us. Time is of the essence. Reports indicate there is also the possibility some of your people are being held there as well.” He directed her toward a table with a flourish, her armor and weapons gleaming in the bright light.

 

With a gasp, she stepped forward and lifted a piece of her leg armor, turning to smile at him in amazement. “How did you find all my stuff?”

 

With a smug grin he leaned a hip against the table. “There’s always one or two rooms where the kett dump the personal belongings of prisoners, it’s all very predictable. We retrieved yours, along with all the rest we found there. Was I correct in assuming you would like to accompany us on this mission?”

 

With a wink, she gave him a wide grin. “Hell yeah!”

 

With a murmur of amazement, she reached beyond her armor and lifted her Viper in reverent hands, cooing in pleasure. “Just look at you, all beautiful there.” She checked the scope, bringing it up close to her face, nearly a caress. “Nobody can ever touch you the way I do, can they, love? Your sensitive trigger and all that power, it’s just for me. Yeeeesss, I know how you like to be handled.”

 

Kat was so lost in the happiness of having her rifle back that she didn’t see all the looks the angara close enough to hear her were shooting her way, Akksul included, and she continued to murmur lovingly.

 

Snickering, Keva walked up and poked her arm. “Is that your gun or your lover?”

 

Looking around with a laugh, Kat started stripping her guns to give them a thorough cleaning. “Don’t tell me none of you ever sweet talk your weapons?”

 

Virron looked at Akksul with a playful smirk and directed his comment at Kat’s back where she worked on her guns. “If I have to listen to a female speaking that way in battle, I will definitely be distracted.”

 

Keva picked up one of the pieces of Kat’s armor, examining it intently. “If you keep talking to your guns in such a way here, you’re going to get offers from aroused angara that want to bed you.” Cackling with laughter, Keva pointed a finger toward the back of the room. “I see you blushing, Thelon, don’t think I don’t!”

 

Keeping her head down, Kat felt her own blush creeping up her face. “Really, Keva? No need to exaggerate,” she muttered under her breath. Catching Akksul’s rather intent stare at her blushing face, she had a sudden revelation, staring off into space. “Holy shit!” she whispered to herself in disbelief, “I haven’t gotten laid in….. 635 years. That’s….a long time.”

 

Akksul stepped toward the center of the room and lifted his hands to draw attention, raising his voice to be easily heard over the laughter and jokes. “Time grows short. Finish your preparations and meet at the shuttles for departure.”

 

Turning back to Kat, the hum of conversation rose around them and Akksul stepped forward and slipped his hand under her hair, resting it against her neck, his thumb rubbing gently against the soft skin there.

 

“Do you need my help with your armor? Or your guns?” His eyes danced teasingly and Kat stifled a laugh.

 

“Thanks, big boy, but I think I’ll be just fine on my own.”

 

Bending closer, he lowered his voice for her ears only, his hand tightening where it settled on her shoulder. “Then allow me to offer my services to you for after we return, since circumstances prevented us from being able to come together tonight.” He paused and her thudding heart seemed intent on bursting from her chest in the small silence. “I will ensure your 635 year wait for me to have been well worth it.” His lips grazed her cheek in an almost-kiss. He gave her a final smirk, his eyes full of heat and promise, and sauntered away.

 

Kat’s mouth opened in shock, disgruntled that he managed to leave her in a partially aroused state, yet again. She frowned and recited all the cold things she could quickly think of. “Iceburgs, ice cubes, snow, ice cream, marble floors, freezing wind….Voeld.” She finished her preparations in a rush, swallowing repeatedly against a very dry throat.

 

* * *

 

 

Fully armored and weapons secured at her hip and back, Kat glanced around at the nearly empty armory. Going through her usual mission rituals and preparations gave her a very strange sense of deja vu, but everything was so different now. The easy camaraderie and sense of belonging that she always took for granted among all the Apex squads was absent now, and she felt suddenly more isolated than she ever had before.

 

Pushing her hair behind an ear, she turned on her heel and made for the exit, engaging her jump jets as soon as she cleared the building, testing her ability to evade quickly in every direction. Making a couple of small adjustments until she was satisfied, Kat finally headed for the shuttles, turning to board the closest one.

 

“Katherine, over here. You’re with me.” Akksul came up behind her and took her arm, guiding her onto the center of the three shuttles waiting to depart. He steered her toward the back and seated her beside him.

 

She pulled her gloves off and set them inside her helmet, putting them on the floor at her feet to attend to her hair. She pulled elastics and pins from a small pouch on her belt when Akksul tugged her hair toward him, wrapping the length around his fist multiple times.

 

She lifted a brow and angled her head to look at him with what little ability to move remained to her. “Hey, big boy, are you trying to take me prisoner here?”

 

He pursed his lips and tugged harder until her head was pulled further back, the vulnerable line of her throat completely bared. “It seems easily accomplished. I see why you keep it carefully restrained when fighting.” He released his grip, running his fingers through the soft waves before removing his hand with a regretful look.

 

Bumping his shoulder playfully with her own, she bit her lip and gave him a knowing look. “You kinda have a thing for human hair, huh? It’s okay to admit it. It’s a fairly common occurrence.”

 

Akksul huffed in mock annoyance and picked up the data pad on the seat next to him to look at something other than her graceful movements as she secured her bun to her head. “No,” he said in a voice so low she had to lean closer to hear him. “I have a _thing_ for Katherine’s hair, or perhaps just a Katherine obsession in general.”

 

She flushed in pleasure at his words and leaned closer to him, becoming trapped in his intense gaze. “I think we’ve already established that it’s mutual. I definitely have something of an Akksul obsession of my own. Is there any hope of a cure?”

 

Akksul smirked and opened his mouth to speak when the shuttle begin to fill with the other Roekaar. He gave her a look which indicated they would speak further at a later time.

 

Keva walked up and sat near Kat, her eyes sparkling with mischief, but she was soon engrossed in conversation with Thelon who sat across from them. The shuttle shook as it lifted for takeoff, and everyone settled into comfortable spots for the duration of the flight.

 

Kat let her mind wander, half listening to Keva’s boasting about her fighting prowess but returning to what Akksul had mentioned about the facility they were headed for. If there were humans being kept there, she hoped they were in time to save them from any undue suffering. Or worse.

 

“You can’t expect me to believe that. What proof do you give?” Thelon crossed his arms and smiled, his brow ridge raised in challenge.

 

Bristling, Keva leaned forward and pointed at their leader. “Ask Akksul! He was there and can vouch for the truth of my words.”

 

Akksul gave a sympathetic smile to Thelon and shrugged. “It is true, Thelon. I believe Keva still holds the record for most kett killed during a single raid.”

 

Keva gave a smug smile to her friend. “See? I told you.”

 

Kat gave a surprised laugh and turned to Keva. “You guys actually keep count of your kills? I mean...really? That sounds like something I saw in a film once.”

 

Shrugging, Keva’s smile broadened. “Why not? I challenge you, human, to kill more kett than me today, hmm? I don’t think you can do it.”

 

“Keva!” She had never before met anyone who turned everything into a contest. It seemed a little strange. “I just want to know if there’s actually any area of your life that you don’t turn into a competition?” Keva pointedly ignored her comment and continued her conversation with Thelon.

 

She rolled her eyes and looked at Akksul, who mouthed to her silently, _“No, there isn’t.”_ Kat slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her howl of laughter and Akksul gave her a lazy grin, equal parts heat and affection.

 

She glanced across the way to see Virron watching the interaction between her and Akksul with curious eyes and she dropped her gaze, suddenly flustered and uncomfortable. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach as they drew closer to their destination and the promise of combat.

 

Stretching her hands out, she felt her biotics sparking from her fingertips and curled them into fists, feeling an answering throb in her head. With an aggravated sigh, she stabbed her thumbs against her eyes, trying to stop the migraine before it set in. She leaned her head back and tried to relax into the waves of pain, wincing as the sounds around her were amplified by the throbbing, and finally managed to doze for a while.

 

* * *

 

 

Kat woke with her head pounding harder than before she fell asleep and a painful cramp in her neck to boot. Through the front of the shuttle, the snow and ice of Voeld were visible and a storm was raging. She swore softly and braced her feet against the deck, the vibrations intensifying and trying to throw her from her seat.

 

Akksul leaned forward and captured her hand in his, leaning close. “Your head is paining you again, isn’t it? I can feel it. Come, let me help you."

 

She sighed tiredly and nodded. “Yeah, it’s killing me, and what do you mean you can feel it?”

 

He urged her to turn toward him. “Your energy is currently...wrong. Your pain changes the way I feel your...” He angled his head, clearly trying to pick the right words to try to explain what was a basic part of an angaran’s senses. “Your vibrations. The life energy I feel from you. There’s a discordancy in the normal harmony you emit.”

 

Her eyes closed automatically as he cradled her head as he had done once before. She grasped his thick forearms as the rush of his bioelectrics flowed into the pain in her head, soothing it with heat and calming vibrations. Like a circuit completing, her own biotics rushed out and into his body before she knew what had happened, their eyes locked together in shock and surprise before she clamped down on the escaping power.

 

“Shit, Akksul, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” She reached up to cradle his face in her hands, searching his eyes for any sign of pain. “I have no idea what just happened, I swear I’ve never lost control of my biotics like that before,” she babbled in a worried voice.

 

He gently captured her hands in his own, his smile calm but contemplative. “Be at ease, you did not hurt me. Far from it.” When he offered no further insight, she shot him a final curious look and exhaled, allowing the tension to drain from her shoulders and realized their little show had made them the center of attention.

 

Bending down, she retrieved her helmet and put her gloves on. She turned back to Akksul and tapped a finger to her forehead. “Thank you for that. It’s like magic.”

 

He inclined his head and stood, his eyes still glowing with _something_ she couldn’t quite define before making his way to the front where the pilot had begun their approach.

 

* * *

 

 

Akksul divided his fighters into teams, each one being given a different objective, with additional orders for after the base had been cleared.

 

Kat was to stay with Keva, Virron, Thelon, and of course, Akksul. She had the funny feeling that he wanted to keep her close in case she ran into any trouble. She jumped up and down, jogging in place in an attempt to keep her blood flowing while the wind howled. Even with her helmet on, she was rapidly turning into a human popsicle.

 

As they finally began moving to the west side of the facility where they were supposed to enter, Kat pulled her sniper from her back and smiled when she saw heaters scattered along the walkway. Scanning further up she saw a lone kett soldier standing sentry. Checking her distance to the target, she gently squeezed the trigger and felt a deep satisfaction when he dropped, a single shot through his skull. Her weapon was silenced, so no alarm was raised.

 

“Nice shot,” Virron complimented her, trudging ahead in the snow.

 

“Thanks,” She grinned and turned to Keva. “So, one? This is where we start counting, right?”

 

Thelon snorted. “Stars above, don’t let her twist you into playing her games, human. The point is to kill the kett, not keep a running tally so you can brag about it.”

 

Kat’s teeth were chattering so hard and the feeling in her fingers and toes were completely gone when she realized she soon needed to take some drastic action. She glanced from one end of the walkway to the other and counted five guards that were visible. If she charged the one closest to them…

 

She replaced her sniper rifle on her back and drew her pistol from her hip. “You guys hurry and catch up to me, right?” With that, Kat charged the nearest kett, her pistol blast catching him in the throat and dropping him instantly, but drawing the attention of the other guards nearby.

 

Akksul swore and ran toward where Kat was crouched, firing on the guards who were bearing down on her, forcing them to stop and take cover. He gave her a dark look as he slid into cover beside her. “You wait for my order before you advance in future.”

 

Kat was busy shaking out her hand, grateful to finally feel the painful sting that signaled returning circulation. “Yeah, I’m guessing this is a conversation that should have taken place earlier, but let me just get to the essential point.” She flicked a finger toward herself, briefly lowering her head to avoid a spray of gunfire. “The human will die in these temperatures. My armor can’t even maintain my body heat against this level of cold. The reason I charged over here was for the heater. I can feel my fingers again, but my toes are still numb.”

 

Virron sniped a kett on the upper part of the walkway and Keva took out another when he popped his head up to look for them.

 

Akksul reloaded his pistol, his expression grim by the time she finished her explanation. “Is this true? You really can’t function in the cold?”

 

Kat sighted on another target, swearing when she ended up just grazing him. “Of course I can function in the cold. As long as it isn’t sustained, _extreme_ cold, I can function just fine.”

 

Thelon killed the kett that Kat had only managed to graze and grinned back at her. “So, what you’re really saying is that we need to get the fragile human inside as quickly as possible before your body stops functioning?”

 

Kat glared at him and tried to see how many guards were still between them and the door, again exchanging her rifle for her pistol. “Alright, I got this. See you at the door.” She engaged her jump jets, Akksul’s angry shout fading away when she caught sight of three guards hiding behind cover, and she changed into them, shooting the first guard before using her nova attack to knock the other two senseless. She shot them both in the head before they could recover.

 

Her shoulder wrenched painfully when Akksul caught up to her, roughly grabbing her arm and spinning her to face him, his face a mask of anger. “If you can’t obey my orders, you will return to the shuttles and wait for us. I won’t warn you again, is that clear?”

 

Kat rubbed her shoulder and nodded warily, she had never seen Akksul so angry. Maybe she had gotten a little too used to doing her own thing under Marcus’ command. He prized people who could think on their feet and were responsible for themselves, but that clearly wasn’t the kind of commander Akksul was.

 

“Clear. It won’t happen again. But are you saying I shouldn’t use my charge attack at all, or I should clear it with you first?”

 

He released her and waved her toward the heater near the door. “I understand you may need to use it in certain circumstances, but not when one of us can’t be close by to cover you. You aren’t built to be a front-line soldier.”

 

She sputtered in offended hurt. “What do you mean? I’m trained for front-line offense, in addition to stealth and recon.”

 

He gave her a long-suffering look. “Katherine, I’m not going to argue with you about this now. You’re very small and of no more than average strength for a woman, there’s no way you would prevail against several of the larger kett males...”

 

Kat shook her head in amazement and glanced at Keva, who gave her a sympathetic look. “What the _fuck_ do you think I just did, Akksul? Three big kett guys back there! They’re dead, I’m just fine. It’s called biotics, remember? I don’t fight fair, or hadn’t you noticed?”

 

“Enough,” he said in annoyance, “we have a mission to complete. We can talk about this later.”

 

“Fine.” She reloaded her pistol and checked her sniper before they fanned out around the door. Thelon was the first through the doorway and called a clear over his shoulder as the others filed in around him. They made steady progress down the main hall where they entered, clearing all rooms to the left and right as they went.

 

Akksul stepped up to a terminal in one of the larger rooms and tapped the interface, keying in a code when prompted. Kat scanned the room, a shiver of foreboding racing down her spine as a kett recording played, detailing the genetic advantages of asari and turian when exalted.

 

Medical equipment and upright pods of a kind Kat had never seen before, littered the facility. “What is this place? It doesn’t seem like the same kind of detention facility like they kept me in.”

 

Stowing an information stick in a pouch on his waist, Akksul glanced at her. “It isn’t like where you were kept. This is one of the places where they make new kett. It seems they are no longer content with angara, they are now working to change your people as well.”

 

Kat swallowed. “How do you know that? I’ve never seen anything other than the usual looking kett soldiers. Wouldn’t any exalted species from my galaxy look...different?”

 

He shrugged and waved the others through the door, ready to continue on. A burst of automatic gunfire sounded further down the hallway, and they met up with two other teams as they reached the center of the facility. After Akksul conferred with the other team leaders, he motioned for his own team to follow him again.

 

He jogged down a branching hallway, raising a hand to stop the others as they drew closer to the door at the end of the passage. Kat and Keva crouched in front of the door, listening before opening it a crack and glancing inside. It was full of more medical equipment, but otherwise empty.

 

The five of them fanned out across the room, Akksul going from terminal to terminal, gathering additional information and listening to the grim recordings of the various experiments the kett had performed, either successfully or unsuccessfully.

 

Kat wandered to the back of the room, pulling open what looked to be a storage closet, when a growl and a hand around her throat found her being dragged into an adjoining small room, her back slammed against the wall as she met blue eyes that she knew as well as her own.

 

Though he was giving her a death glare, and still had a tight grip on her throat she managed to choke out his name. “Marcus? Marcus! It’s me, it’s Kat! Please..”

 

He growled again, but for a moment his eyes cleared and his hand on her throat loosened, he shook his head and glanced back down at her. “Kat? Is...”

 

And like a cloud passing in front of the sun, his expression closed again and he roared in fury, lifting her by her armor and throwing her the length of the small room. He made to charge after her, but the bullets raining into him from the angara that came to Kat’s defense felled him in seconds.

 

Akksul walked swiftly to Kat where she lay on the floor, having struggled to a sitting position and pulled her helmet off, wiping the trickle of blood from her nose and staring in horror at the turian whose sightless eyes stared straight at her.

 

The scream tore from her throat, and she scuttled backwards in an attempt to escape what had been done to her commander, tears of grief flowing down her cheeks. Everything about him looked wrong. Turian, but not; larger, darker. His face paint was still the same, but his plates were completely black. How was that possible?

 

It was worse than if he had just been killed outright. The kett locked him inside his body and forced him to do their bidding. He had recognized her, had been aware, for a fleeting moment. Kat screamed again, unable to stop this terrifying reality from overwhelming her, far worse than any nightmare she had ever had. Akksul yanked her to her feet and forced her forehead against his.

 

“Look only at me, Katherine, only me.” When she focused desperately on his eyes, he nodded his encouragement. “That’s right, breathe with me now. Deep breath in, and another one out. Yes. We’re going to walk out of this room now. I have you.”

 

She allowed him to lead her out of the small room and the larger room until they were in the wide hallway again. He pulled her against him and she cried silently, other angara coming and going, their conversation an ebb and flow of unintelligible noise that couldn’t breach her own personal hell.

 

As time ticked slowly by, Kat got colder and colder, her shivering becoming more pronounced, and even when she pressed closer to Akksul she couldn’t get warm. She looked up at him, frowning when she saw his lips were moving, but she heard no sound. Strange.

 

Akksul caught Kat before she could fall to the floor, his hand grazing across her forehead. He snatched his hand back, hissing at how hot she was. Scooping her into his arms, he moved quickly back toward the shuttles.

 

“Thelon,” he barked to the man on his right, “contact Saabir and tell him to be ready when we reach the shuttles. Katherine needs immediate aid.”

 

He walked faster, satisfied when he heard Thelon relaying his orders to their doctor, but he was less encouraged when he heard Saabir’s response over the communicator. _“Tell Akksul to hurry. There were other humans in the facility, but all dead,_ _and_ _from the same sickness. If Katherine has also contracted_ _whatever they had_ _, we may require_ _additional_ _help.”_

 

Akksul’s jaw tightened and he glanced down at the pale woman in his arms, her cheeks a vivid red from the heat of the fever.

 

She would not die, he would not allow it.


	6. Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akksul fights to save Kat's life, enlisting aid from an unlikely source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mega-long author's note: Sorry for the extreme delay between updates, once again. I started writing a Lord of the Rings Haldir/OC story about 6 years ago, but my laptop at the time died with all my stuff on it, and I only recently managed to recover all my old writing files. Hooray! It's near novel length, (well over 70,000 words, and counting) and I was inspired to start working on the ending as I haven't yet finished it, and I wanted to be close to finished before I start posting that story again. So, I've written between 50-60 pages over the past several weeks of Haldir/OC, and poor Kat and Akksul got pushed to the back burner as a result. I'm on vacation in Florida right now, but I decided I was going to finish chapter 6 TODAY, and get it posted, so here you go! Finally.  
> Also, I've never written any alien sexy times before (unless you count my Arishok oneshot lol) so I hope nothing is too jarring. A couple new tags have been added for this chapter. ;)

* * *

 

**An entire playlist for this chapter:**

 

**Overdose by EXO**

**My Answer by EXO**

**Baby, Don’t Cry by EXO**

**Don’t Go by EXO**

**Starving by Hailee Steinfeld**

**Animals by Maroon 5**

**Animal by XOV**

**It Was Always You by Maroon 5**

* * *

 

 

The beep and whir of machines were the only sound in the room as Akksul glared at the readouts, as though he could somehow make all the information favorable through the sheer force of his will alone.

 

It had been another night and a day since they had returned from the cursed facility. Not even the fact that they had set enough explosives in the place to send it to the stars had improved his mood since Kat’s collapse. Though she was quickly taken to one of their smaller bases on Voeld so Saabir could begin to treat her immediately, she had continued in steady decline.

 

Saabir had given him an ultimatum not half an hour before: get help from someone who knew how to treat human illness and disease, or Katherine would surely die.

 

Akksul punched the metal desk in front of him in frustration, denting the edge. “Fuck.” The human curse was satisfying. The word itself sounded as angry as he felt, but with Katherine unconscious there was no one else around to say it.

 

Katherine’s head tossed back and forth on her pillow, a pained murmur the only sound she made. He crossed the room swiftly and laid a soothing hand across her forehead, his bioelectrics the only thing that seemed to calm the restlessness of her fevered misery.

 

He had never been so near another person during a serious illness; had always been revolted by the thought previously, but it wasn’t something he could explain in words...he couldn’t leave her to suffer alone. Especially not when his presence could ease her misery, however minor the relief.

 

With a final caress against her hot cheek, he turned to leave. He knew exactly what he had to do, he just really wasn’t looking forward to doing it.

 

~o~

 

 

Evfra De Tershaav stared coldly at the data pad in his hand, then threw it down on his desk. Even a single life lost was one more than he was willing to accept, although such reports had become much less frequent than the former daily occurrence of previous years.

 

The power of the kett forces had seen a serious decline in Heleus since the Archon’s death at Meridian, but Evfra couldn’t escape the feeling that the relative peace they had enjoyed in recent days was merely the calm before the breaking of a violent storm.

 

He turned to face the expansive view beyond his office windows, the dark clouds and occasional flash of lightning streaking the sky a match for his own emotional landscape. There was a nagging feeling that he was missing something important, but recent intel was entirely devoid of insight into any kett scheme for a renewed attempt to conquer and subdue Heleus.

 

An insistent beeping drew his attention back to his desk and he slapped at the blinking light on the display to cut off the alert indicating he had an incoming call. He glanced at the new assistant, always uncertainly hovering at various points around the room, as though ready to make a quick escape. Evfra pursed his lips and pointed to the indicator light.

 

“Who is it?”

 

He stammered, finally managing to spit out an intelligible reply. “It’s Akksul. He asked to speak with you but refused to say why, only that it is an important matter.”

 

Evfra grunted and waved him off. “Go and have your break, I’ll speak to him.”

 

When the door closed, Evfra hit the accept button and waited for the shimmering image of Akksul to form in front of him. He was mildly curious as to why the leader of the foundering Roekaar splinter group would have anything to say to him, but he was certain he would soon be enlightened.

 

“Evfra, thank you for taking my call. I have an urgent matter that I wish to discuss with you.”

 

Crossing his arms, Evfra gave a single nod of acknowledgment. “Akksul. I admit I am somewhat surprised to hear from you, but I know you would never contact me if it were not a serious concern. What is it that you want?”

 

Akksul rubbed a hand across the top of his head, the agitated movement revealing more of his inner turmoil than he knew. Evfra frowned and waited for Akksul to speak.

 

“I have…in my care, a human woman. She was among a number of angara that we rescued from a kett prison, and it was discovered that she had done a great service for my family and we are indebted to her for that, and other reasons. When we breached a kett facility two days ago, she was among my fighters and contracted a sickness from that place and is now seriously ill, her life in danger. My own physician has done all he can, but we need an expert, someone who can treat and cure humans.”

 

Evfra didn’t allow any of his astonishment to show at Akksul’s detailed explanation, his expression remained bland and his posture relaxed. Akksul cleared his throat and continued.

 

“In exchange for any help you can provide, I have all the data and intel we recovered from the facility before we destroyed it, and it’s substantial. Would that be an acceptable trade for you?”

 

Drawing a breath, Evfra narrowed his eyes and nodded, his mind in a whir over what this new data might reveal. Perhaps luck was on his side today. “You’re on Voeld,” he murmured, more statement than question. At Akksul’s affirmative reply, he pursed his lips. “So,” he said musingly, “you’re the fool who blew up half a mountain.”

 

Akksul glared and crossed his own arms, his posture a mirror of Evfra’s. “It was an exaltation facility, albeit a small one. They’ve begun to turn the Milky Way species. We killed a turian who had been changed to something like kett, and there were...others. No angara in the entire compound. I have never seen that before.”

 

Evfra shifted his weight, rubbing a hand across his jaw in thought and gave a non-committal grunt. “Send me all the relevant information regarding this human as well as a nav point, assuming you want the medical expert brought to you. There are several skilled Initiative doctors currently stationed on Voeld. I’ll make the necessary calls and get back to you when I have news.”

 

“Thank you, I’m in your debt.”

 

The barest smile lifted Evfra’s lips as the silence lengthened before he spoke again. “This was a difficult thing for you to come to me. You must care for this human woman to brave the discomfort of asking for my help.”

 

A muscle worked in Akksul’s jaw and he gave a brief nod, the words coming slowly in his reluctance to reveal any more than was necessary. “She is...important…to me.”

 

Evfra smirked, his eyes knowing. “Good. Blind hate is a benefit to no one, and the humans are a worthy people.” He gave a final curt nod, his expression returning to the slight frown he usually wore. “You’ll hear from me soon.”

 

~o~

 

 

Akksul sagged in relief when the transmission went dark. Speaking to the leader of the Resistance had been even more draining than he had anticipated. He had never known anyone with greater powers of observation than Evfra; even through the grainy interface he had managed to see right through him, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

 

Just as well he had already acknowledged to himself that he had feelings for Katherine, or it might have been an even more uncomfortable conversation. With the difficult part behind him, there was nothing more to do but wait.

 

He slipped out of the small office and turned toward Katherine’s room to resume his vigil.

 

~o~

 

 

Saabir waited for the shuttle to land, then dashed forward eagerly to greet the help Akksul had secured for Kat. He smiled politely at the human woman and the salarian male, receiving a grateful word of thanks from the female when he relieved her of the heavy box of equipment and medical supplies in her arms.

 

He waved them into the base, closing the door on the howling wind and turning to speak with them, now that they were able to hear each other better. The woman stepped forward first, extending her hand and speaking with a beautiful lilt in her musical voice. Saabir had to force himself to listen to the translation of her words and not the words she herself spoke, which he obviously didn’t understand. He admitted to himself that he had never heard anything more lovely than her voice. Intriguing.

 

“I’m Dr. Brigid O’Day, and this is my colleague, Dr. Martin Mundus.”

 

Saabir remembered the hand clasping ritual Kat had acquainted him with, and held both their hands in turn, as seemed expected. “Welcome. I’m Saabir, general doctor for the angara under Akksul’s command, but I have very little knowledge or experience as to how to treat a sick human. Please, follow me and I will take you to the patient.”

 

They followed him through the mostly empty base, no more than a handful of Roekaar present since the facility was not in frequent use and Akksul had sent the others back to Aya to await his return. “This sickness is seemingly very contagious,” he threw back over his shoulder, “I trust you will take steps to protect your own health.”

 

The salarian began muttering too quickly for the translator to catch every word, but Saabir managed to follow some of it. “Humans only? Angara immune...other species possible...immediate testing needed...time of the essence...”

 

They arrived at Kat’s room and Saabir ushered them in. Dr. O’Day smiled reassuringly at him, addressing his previous concern. “Don’t worry about us, there are protocols we follow to prevent the spread of disease or contamination; we’ll take care.”

 

Akksul rose from where he was seated near the head of the bed, looking up from the data pad he had been studying, his eyes quickly assessing the two doctors. Introductions were made and the salarian, Dr. Mundus, wasted no time, having completed several diagnostics on Kat by the time Saabir had completed introductions.

 

At the unfamiliar touch of the salarian, as well as the hum of his instrumentation, Kat’s eyes opened, clouded by pain and delirium. Her brow furrowed and her arms and legs moved restlessly as she moaned, thrashing under the blankets.

 

In seconds, Akksul was by her side again, his hand brushing gently against her forehead; she calmed with a sigh and her eyes drifted closed.

 

Dr Mundus stared eagerly at the diagnostic tool he held. “Bioelectrics used as calming method for patient. Biotic spike unexpected. Human-angaran symbiosis? Fascinating. Further tests needed to confirm...”

 

Dr. O’Hara shot a quick look at her engrossed colleague, turning a placid smile on the two angara and asking them to wait elsewhere while they examined Katherine, and she would be sure to find them later to give an update.

 

Saabir and Akksul shared an annoyed look when they found themselves standing in the hallway, the door shut firmly behind them.

 

“I’ll be in my office until I hear from you,” Akksul said, with a final scowl aimed at the door. Saabir nodded and sighed, wandering off to find something to occupy himself with.

 

~o~

 

 

Akksul stood with his back to the room, contemplating the landscape carved from ice on the other side of his office window. Despite the vault being brought back online by the human Pathfinder, most of the resulting changes were subtle, Voeld remaining, in many ways essentially the same. There were other places where the humans had left more of their mark. Not all of them were visible to the eye.

 

The ripples of their influence, for good or ill, was like the lapping of water against sand, steady and inescapable, subtly changing the shape of the shore. The angara in Heleus had been forever altered because of it. He had also been changed from the presence of humans in his life...one human in particular.

 

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Akksul turned, eyes expectant. Saabir drew a deep breath before launching into his report.

 

“It is an aggressive virus, specifically designed to target humans, as was suspected. Perhaps intended for use as a weapon, but that is speculation without more information.” He paused, his eyes dropping briefly to Akksul’s clenched fists before he looked up and grinned. “She is expected to make a full recovery! Indeed, she already responds favorably to the treatment they’ve begun.”

 

As the tension slowly drained from his muscles, Akksul leaned forward, resting his hands flat against the top of his desk. “How long?”

 

“I cannot say exactly. The fever is gone, so it may be days, or perhaps longer. The doctors have sent word to their Nexus so the humans can take steps for their protection.” Saabir studied his commander’s face carefully. “Their leaders know Katherine lives now and will likely want her returned. Dr. O’Day told me as much.”

 

Akksul’s eyes darkened dangerously as he pushed away from his desk. “They can’t have her.”

 

When Saabir continued to regard him silently, he scowled and looked away. “Not yet. After she is well and we have spoken, then…we’ll see. In the meantime, keep me updated on her progress and try to contain the salarian, I have already caught him wandering where he should not.”

 

Saabir grinned. “He is very strange; talks to himself more than to anyone else. But Dr. O’Day tells me he comes from a distinguished family of brilliant scientists and doctors, so perhaps it is just his way.”

 

Akksul raised a brow ridge and waved a dismissive hand.

 

“You can visit her now if you want to, or I can keep an eye on her.” He turned to walk out when Akksul spoke again.

 

“Thank you, Saabir. You’re a good friend.”

 

Saabir rested a hand against the door frame, his back to Akksul. “You are not the only one who cares for Kat.” He glanced back over his shoulder, dropped his hand to his side and walked out, leaving the leader of the Roekaar musing over his words.

 

~o~

 

 

Saabir lifted a hand in farewell before the shuttle door closed, cutting off his view of the two doctors. With Kat’s rapid recovery, their work was done, and Akksul was having them returned to the Initiative outpost of Taerve Uni. Saabir was very sorry to see Brigid go. She was a fascinating person, as well as a kind and skilled doctor. They had decided to keep in touch via email, and he was glad to be able to continue their exchange of information on a professional level, and their friendship on a personal one.

 

It was still a little strange to feel such a way toward aliens, and yet, it had become more apparent to him over time that some of the Milky Way species were not the same as the kett. As he came to know Kat, his abstract hatred for humans had disappeared entirely. He wondered if Akksul would seek to redefine what the Roekaar stood for and their mission going forward.

 

When he wandered back down the halls, he turned toward the shooting range where he knew he would find Kat. With a return to health she seemed to alternate between being sad and pensive or angry brooding. He could see her heart was wounded and grieved, and the doctor in him thought immediately of the obvious cure, which he was puzzled she had not already sought on her own. He watched her while she emptied the rounds from her pistol into the target, which was riddled with holes from all the times she had shot it.

 

“Have you spoken with Akksul? It may help you, Kat, if you unburden yourself to him.”

 

She glanced at Saabir before looking back to the Carnifex she held, releasing the empty clip into her waiting palm. “No, I haven’t spoken with Akksul. I can’t imagine he would appreciate me dumping my problems on him.”

 

He looked astonished and took a step closer. “He spent many hours at your bedside, holding your hand or comforting you in your delirium. Even when you were at your _sickest_ ,” he said, with great emphasis.

 

Kat furrowed her brows and shrugged. “That was nice of him, of course. But I don’t see how that changes what I said.”

 

He looked even more flabbergasted than before, then narrowed his eyes and peered at her keenly, a slow smile of understanding brightening his features. “Then...you don’t know.”

 

“Know what? Why are you looking at me like that?” She faced him fully and crossed her arms, waiting for him to explain.

 

“It must be different for your people, but for angara, illness is very deeply private and never spoken of without embarrassment or discomfort. Some of my sicker patients that have required care even have difficulty meeting my eyes when they speak of their symptoms, it is very ingrained in our culture.”

 

He paused, allowing his words to sink in before he continued. “No angara would ever willingly remain in the company of someone in the grip of sickness. Except for very close family members, or a lover or mate, it is unheard of.

 

He took another step closer, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder as he lowered his voice for her ears alone. “Akksul’s behavior was a bold statement of his feelings for you, don’t you see? If you were angara, you would already know this.”

 

She shifted her weight from one foot to another, unable to process his implication in her current frame of mind and suddenly needing to be alone. With three doctors constantly hovering over her, complete with poking and prodding, she felt she had scarcely had time to deal with what had happened in the kett facility; everything was pushed aside while her life was in danger. But to her, it was all still so fresh.

 

“Saabir, I...just...need to go think for a while.” She reached up and squeezed his hand on her shoulder before she moved past him, quickly navigating the twists and turns of the passageways until she came to the small room she had been given since her recovery.

 

Closing the door behind her, she went and sat on the edge of the bed, resting her elbows on her thighs, then leaned forward and dropped her head into her hands and shut her eyes. She _had_ felt Akksul watching her closely since she woke up, and she had noted a gravity and seriousness in his regard that had not been there previously. But she couldn’t think about the reason for it, or what it might mean; she couldn’t think about anything except Marcus and the way his dead, empty eyes stared at her in silent accusation.

 

Why had he been the one to suffer such a horrible fate and not her? He was such a strong fighter and leader, and so valuable to the Initiative, and to his family… A raw whimper forced its way from her throat just before a quiet knock sounded at the door. She ignored it, too lost in her emotions to care about anything else.

 

Akksul’s vibrations flowed over her like a buffering wind, a counterpoint to the solid feel of him as he settled on the bed beside her. She hadn’t realized she was cold until she felt his warmth radiating into her.

 

“Katherine.”

 

She squeezed her eyes more tightly shut, the sound of the concern in his voice nearly enough to break her. His hand rested on the back of her bent head before moving down to her back, rubbing gently.

 

“Share your pain with me. Let me hold you while you cry, as I have been longing to these past days. I know you’re hurting.”

 

His deep voice had never sounded more earnest or more dear to her. With a choked sob of grief, she turned and reached blindly for him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder when he pulled her across his lap, his arms tightly enfolding her against him.

 

Her shuddering exhales and broken gasps thick with the sound of her tears were the only thing heard in the room for some time while her grief found release. He stroked her hair, and sometimes he whispered words of comfort, but mostly he remained quiet, a solid bulwark of support.

 

As time passed, her cries quieted and the room was engulfed in darkness when night fell. Weary, Kat dozed against him, waking only briefly as he scooted them both back into the bed and lay down with her still held fast in his arms. He brushed a kiss to her forehead.

 

“Sleep now, sweet Katherine. I have you.”

 

She curled into him, feeling more safe and protected than she had in her entire adult life. If her exhaustion hadn’t been so absolute, she would have spent time pondering that.

 

When morning brightened the room and she finally awoke, it was to Akksul watching her, a tender smile on his lips.

 

“And how is my small human this morning? You slept very soundly in my arms.”

 

She felt an answering smile curl her mouth. The sorrow from the night before still lingered, but the strength of it had diminished significantly, allowing her to feel a bit more like herself.

 

“Well, you’re really just an angaran teddy bear, so that’s hardly surprising.”

 

He gave her a considering look. “What is a ‘teddy bear’?”

 

Prepared for his question, she already had the interface open on her omnitool and searched up two pictures, one of a grizzly bear standing to full height and roaring, sharp teeth bared; and the second, a child’s stuffed toy.

 

She pointed to the first one. “This is an animal from my planet, called a grizzly bear, very fierce and dangerous.” Pointing to the second image, she continued, “And this is a child’s toy of a bear, commonly called a teddy bear. It’s a comfort object for many children. I slept with one every night when I was young.”

 

He examined the pictures and listened to her explanation, intrigued. “I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not, but instead, I find myself wondering what you looked like as a child. I have never seen a young human.”

 

Kat bit the inside of her mouth as her smile grew wider. “You shouldn’t be insulted, I loved my teddy bear, he was very cuddly.” Punching another command into her ‘tool, she brought up images from her personal files and angled her arm so Akksul could easily see and waited for his reaction.

 

It took a second before he realized what she was showing him, then he leaned a little closer, fascinated. He pointed to the top one, a question in his eyes.

 

“Yeah, that’s me with both my parents when I was eight years old. My dad died later that year, and my mother just after I turned eighteen. They were both pretty old when they had me; my mother had to have a medical procedure in order to get pregnant with me, but they married each other very late in life and my father wanted a child with my mother. My mom was married previously and had three sons, but I was my father’s only child.”

 

She turned to look at Akksul. “I’m grateful for the time I had with them, they were both loving, amazing people. I was lucky. And...” She pointed to a small picture of her laughing and clutching a bear. “...this is me when I was three years old.”

 

He smiled, looking back and forth between her face and the picture of her as a toddler, comparing. “I had no idea human children could be so adorable.”

 

She lifted a teasing brow. “Now you do.”

 

Sobering, she pulled up another image; it was Kat standing between two turians, all of them wearing Initiative armor. She hovered a shaking finger above the picture of the taller of the two turians. “This is Marcus, what he really looked like. My mentor, commander, and friend; he was more like a father to me, really. He was the one who told me about the Initiative and the dream of a new home here, he’s why I came to Andromeda.”

 

She closed the interface and stared at the ceiling, slow tears dripping into her ears and hair. “His wife and son are still in cryo.”

 

He sighed quietly. “Loss is something that all in Heleus know, Katherine. I’m sorry you were not spared this pain.”

 

He pulled her close again. After a time, she leaned back so she could meet his eyes, wiping away the last of her tears. She reached out and traced the design down one of his cheeks with gentle fingers.

 

“I’ve never felt so safe and cared for as I did last night. You’ve been very good to me, Akksul, thank you.”

 

He captured her fingers and brought them to his lips for a kiss. “It was my pleasure.”

 

Kat’s stomach chose that moment to protest its lack of food by growling loudly. Akksul laughed while she buried her face against his chest, giggling.

 

~o~

 

 

Narrowing her eyes, Kat lifted a piece from the third tier of the board, debating, before finally lowering it closer to Akksul’s adhi. He shook his head, an amused smile on his lips as he moved his Galorn on the bottom tier into an attack space.

 

“I win.”

 

Kat shrugged and glanced across to where Saabir was seated, watching them play. “I’m really not that great at strategy. In games of chance or luck, though, now those I excel at.”

 

“But those require no skill or forethought,” Saabir mused.

 

Hooking a pale curl behind her ear, she gave him a challenging look. “Wanna bet? You have to be able to read other people to do well in those types of games, and that’s a skill all its own.” She pointed at him, her mouth lifting in a half smile. “You angara are actually at a little of a disadvantage because of your lack of emotional concealment. I would have you naked in a game of strip poker in less than ten minutes.”

 

Akksul leaned back and crossed his arms. “What is the purpose of this strip poker?”

 

She laughed lightly. “To get your opponent naked while keeping all of your own clothing on.” She tilted her head. “Actually, now that I think about it, it would be pointless to play that with any of you, as the embarrassment humans would feel in that situation wouldn’t apply for angara, and that’s half the fun.”

 

Reaching for his glass of tavum, Saabir took a long swallow. “What’s the other half?”

 

She lifted her arms over her head and stretched, then looked at him with a grin and shrugged. “Looking at naked people? That’s usually a lot more fun if you’re half drunk though.”

 

Akksul pushed to his feet and extended a hand toward her. “Katherine, come to bed with me now.”

 

Her grin was replaced by a puzzled frown. “Now? But I’m not really sleepy.”

 

His eyes smoldered with sensual heat. “No, nor am I.”

 

Her mouth fell open in surprise. “Oh, you...” She shot a quick look at Saabir who took another sip of his drink, completely unconcerned, before looking back at Akksul and clearing her throat. “That’s, uh...very...blunt, I guess.”

 

Tilting his head, Akksul smiled as the color in her cheeks rose. “Why are you embarrassed? There is nothing shameful in the sharing of bodies. Have you changed your mind about wanting to be with me?”

 

She shook her head and took a deep breath. “No, I haven’t changed my mind...sorry… I’m just still thinking like a human, I guess.” With a look of determination, she stood and placed her hand in Akksul’s, allowing him to lead her toward the door.

 

“Enjoy yourselves!” Saabir smiled fondly at them both, thoroughly entertained by Kat’s reaction, and chuckling when she gave him a decidedly nervous look on her way out. He drained the last of his drink and went to get another, opening the interface on his wrist to check for new messages from Brigid.

 

~o~

 

Akksul closed the door and engaged the lock, walking into the center of his quarters; a large space, sparsely furnished. Kat leaned against the door and watched him, her eyes flicking to the bed against the far wall and back to him. He watched her for a moment, neither of them moving.

 

“There is no need to be nervous with me, Katherine,” Akksul said, giving her an intense look. “I have made it a point to study human females and your reproductive pleasure.”

 

She winced and took a step forward. “Yeah…that sounds very...clinical, which pretty much kills any desire for me. I’d much rather hear that you wanted to fuck me senseless, or, you know, you could always just touch me.”

 

He reached for her, cradling her face in both of his big hands and angling her head so he could kiss her, groaning when she dueled his tongue with her own, fighting him for dominance.

 

“Fuck you senseless?” He kissed her again, licking at the corner of her mouth. “I assume you do not mean that literally.” Pulling back, he lifted her shirt over her head and threw it to one side.

 

“I mean, I’ve never had sex that actually left me senseless, but I think it sounds like a pretty nice goal to aim for.”

 

He ran a finger under one of her bra straps with a questioning look, waiting until she undid the clasp and let it drop to the floor. He reached for one of her breasts, watching her intently when he squeezed gently, then slowly stroked his thumb over the pebbled nipple. When she sucked in a sharp breath and the hand on his shoulder tightened, he smiled.

 

“You seem even more sensitive there than I expected. Would it be better if I licked you instead?” He had both of his hands on her breasts, pinching and caressing, observing her reactions.

 

“Oh god, yes! Mouth and tongue is always better, pretty much everywhere. Always.”

 

Akksul laughed softly. “It seems we are in agreement. Perhaps human and angara are not so very different if we share a basic understanding as to the proper use of tongue in lovemaking.” He knelt in front of her, folding his legs until he could take one of her nipples into his mouth, first licking delicately, then more firmly when she moaned and asked him to suck her harder.

 

When her dazed expression made him desire much more, he stood and shed his clothing while Kat did the same, meeting again in a clash of lips and tongues in the center of the room.

 

“Since I didn’t get to study angara, can you maybe just tell me what you like?” She sucked at his tongue, then pressed her lips against his again.

 

He smiled into her lips. “Of course. It would be my delight to teach you what gives me pleasure, just as I expect you will do for me.”

 

She sighed against his mouth, nearly beyond the ability to speak. “Yes, just…more.”

 

He took her hand and led her toward the bed, laying her down and quickly following, kissing a slow path from her breasts to her wet center, touching her pale triangle of curls there in wonder. When his rough, raspy tongue finally met her clit, she wailed, overwhelmed by the feel of him against her.

 

“You taste like the flowing waters of Aya,” he murmured between long licks, growling into her core when she gasped and shuddered in approval. It didn’t take long with the full force of his tongue focused solely on her clit until she was quivering with orgasm, a low moan spilling from her mouth. He watched in rapt fascination as she rode the peak of pleasure, finding the look on her face and the complete abandon as she gave herself to his touch beautiful; he wanted to see it again and again.

 

Slowly opening her eyes, she smiled down at him, immediately wanting more of what his gaze promised.

 

He tilted his head, his fingers again returning to gently touch the curls above her sex. “Is it always so easy to bring you to your climax? I expected it would take much longer.”

 

She grinned and shook her head. “It normally does take a whole lot longer for me, but the...texture... of your tongue is quite a bit rougher than a human’s, and it felt _really_ good. I might be spoiled now.”

 

He laughed and kissed her thigh, his gaze smug. “Good. I would have you crave my mouth against you.”

 

“Can I do the same for you…..is there….?” She wanted to return the favor and give him some oral appreciation, but wasn’t sure as to what his biology actually entailed, having never seen anything that resembled a cock.

 

He laughed, a dark, smoky sound, before sliding back up beside her and taking her hand and moving it to the large erection that was now readily apparent between his legs. “Is this what you were looking for?”

 

“Ahhh...hidden until needed? Good design.” She glanced down, admiring the taut skin; veins standing in sharp relief against the deeper blue of his very firm cock, the bulbous tip much larger than human men and ran her hand across him. “Can I taste,” she asked breathlessly.

 

He gave her a look full of heat, holding her gaze as he placed his hand on the back of her head and pushed her down.

 

Drawing a quick breath, she wrapped her hand around the base and licked a slow circle around the top of his thick length, sighing at his rich, musky flavor. She angled her head so she could look up at him as she took him deep until he bumped the back of her throat, watching his mouth fall open when she hummed. He hissed and buried his hands in her hair, tugging just enough so she knew he wanted her to continue.

 

Pulling back, she licked him like a lollipop, following the many ridges and valleys that went from base to tip, repeating the caress when she felt a shudder run through him and he groaned her name. Taking him in her mouth again, she quickly found a rhythm, ignoring the growing ache in her jaw and trying to take him as deep as she could.

 

Kat knew she was on the right track when he started pulling her hair in earnest while chanting her name in a worshipful litany. Adjusting so she could watch his face again, she was mesmerized when he suddenly stiffened and then went completely still, his expression like nothing she had ever seen before; beyond rapture when he looked at her, something far more tender shining from his eyes.

 

She slowed her movement and finally released him, licking away the last of the surprisingly sticky sweetness her mouth had been coated in and moving up to rest her head against his shoulder when he pulled her into his arms, his expression musing as he examined her face, reaching for a curl to wind around his finger.

 

“I almost find it impossible to believe I am engaged in such remarkably satisfying bed-sport with an alien,” he said, voice colored in disbelief.

 

She ran a hand over the chiseled muscles across his abdomen and gave him a teasing smile. “After all we’ve been through together, do you really still see me as just an alien?”

 

He looked at her thoughtfully for a long moment, running his fingers down her soft cheek. “No, I don’t. I see you as the woman I love.”

 

Her eyes widened in shock at his declaration, just before Akksul rolled her beneath him and thrust against her, his thick cock stretching her almost beyond comfort as he entered her, pushing steadily until he was fully sheathed inside of her.

 

She gripped his thick shoulders and moaned, her head falling back against the bed, gasping again as he canted his hips, going impossibly deeper. “Damn,” Kat’s voice was quiet and breathy. “I had no idea when I started calling you big boy, that you were even bigger than I imagined.”

 

He frowned down at her. “Is it too much for you?”

 

Shaking her head, she wrapped her legs around his waist and circled her hips. “No, just give me a second to adjust.”

 

He sucked in a sharp breath and buried his face against her neck when she moved. “You are very tight…and hot, and...ungh!” Akksul lifted his head in shock. “ _Skkut!_ What did you just do now?”

 

Kat smiled wickedly and tightened her inner muscles around him once more, laughing when he shuddered and swore again.

 

“Female angara can’t do that little trick, huh?”

 

His bioelectrics vibrated in and through her when he pulled back and thrust back in, making her gasp and shudder, and he gave her a smug smile.

 

“Humans males can’t do that little trick either, hmm?”

 

She bit her lip in amusement, then moaned and arched her back when he started to move more forcefully, stimulating parts of her she had never even been aware of, prior to his touch. The combined assault on her senses soon overwhelmed her, inside and out.

 

“Oh my god, Akksul...oh my god!”

 

He laughed darkly, fisting a hand in her hair and pulling until her throat was fully bared to him, his teeth sinking into the muscle there, passion driving his actions.

 

“I will be your god, Katherine, if I can have you as my offering.”

 

Her biotics rose, responding to his bioelectrics and limning their bodies in blue light. When another wave of his bioelectrics vibrated forcefully through her, she came with a cry, clenching around him and making him growl and shudder with his own release.

 

~o~

 

Sometime later, Akksul was carding his fingers through Katherine’s hair where she lay sprawled beside him, their legs still twined together and the sweat cooling on their bodies. He lifted her chin, wanting to kiss her when he saw tears spilling from her eyes. He ran a thumb down her cheek and across her jaw.

 

“Why do you cry, my darling Katherine?”

 

She looked up and gave him a watery smile. “Because I was thinking of what you said earlier...and because I realized that I love you too.”

 

He kissed her gently, his eyes dancing with mischief. “Did you realize it before or after the fourth time I brought you to your peak?”

 

Kat laughed and shoved his arm, then wiped her tears. “You ass, I’m being sincere here.”

 

Akksul grinned and pulled her close to him, kissing her tenderly and resting his forehead against hers for a long moment.

 

“It brings me greater happiness than I can express, to know you not only accept my love but also return my feelings for you.”

 

She kissed him even as her fingers ran over the deep ridges and grooves across his back that she had noticed during their lovemaking, so like her own. Her brow furrowed and she pulled back to look at him. “Are they...kett?”

 

He nodded. “Yes, the scars are from kett, the same as yours.” He ran a thumb across her lips, his eyes unfocused in memory. “I was their prisoner for a year, and there was no one to free me, so I freed myself. My bitterness and hate for them spread to everything, coloring my perceptions and poisoning every aspect of my existence, even souring the things I once enjoyed.”

 

He met her eyes again, his own soft with feeling. “It was not until you entered my life that I began to understand there could be another way, a different path than the one I had been following.” He smiled, his eyes filled with tears. “You have healed me, my little human, with your strange and beautiful ways, and brought joy back into my life.”

 

Kat caressed his cheek, her own tears flowing again. “You rescued me from certain death, and cared for me when you had no reason to. I think we healed each other.”

 

He nodded and kissed her again, drawing a deep breath, his brow ridge furrowed. The next words he spoke were slow and hesitant. “Your people know you live…and they want you back. You are free to return to them if that is your wish.”

 

He paused when she dropped her gaze, reaching out to touch her cheek and bring her eyes back up to his. “But I don’t want you to. I want you to choose me; to stay with me so we can always be together. Become part of my family. Help me in my fight against the kett, and to free any of our people who are taken captive.”

 

Kat listened breathlessly, her heart pounding with joy and hope. “Yes. I want that too, to be part of all you do. There’s nothing left for me to return to with Marcus gone. I’ll stay for as long as you want me, Akksul.”

 

He rolled on top of her and playfully pinned her wrists, his expression one of mock-severity. “Then you will remain my captive forever, for I will never let you go now.”

 

She tested his grip and smirked. “Promise?”

 

Akksul gave her a slow smile. “Katherine...let me show you.”

 

~o~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue and wrap-up still to come. :)


	7. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for abandoning this for so long. EA/BioWare really broke my heart into a million pieces by giving us zero story DLC for MEA, and my sadness drained much of my inspiration to keep writing in the Andromeda 'verse since then. ; _ ; This needs an ending though, and Kat and Akksul definitely deserve it, so here it finally is.
> 
> Musical inspiration: Where You Belong by Kari Kimmel
> 
> For Akksul's home language, I used Swahili (which is an amazingly beautiful language IMO) and google translate. I apologize to any actual Swahili speakers if I screwed anything up, or the translations are utter shite. I did my best.

 

* * *

****Chapter 7** **

Tiran Kandros finished reading the report in his hands and glanced up, meeting the eyes of the petite blonde sitting quietly in the chair in front of his desk. Back from the dead, as it were. She had been listed as MIA, but was presumed lost, along with her commander and fellow squad-mate. The kett had been targeting the smaller Apex squads, so much so that he had combined several of them, finding they left the larger teams alone. But to discover what had been done to the ones they had managed to capture...

"Well...shit."

She continued to meet his gaze, unflinching, her lips firm.

"It should be known that he died a hero. Even after what the kett did to him, he was still fighting against it, to the very end."

He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "He will receive all appropriate honors and commendations, and his son and widow as well." He paused, his eyes falling to his desk for a silent moment before pinning her with an intense look.

"But I can't believe you're really serious about resigning, and to work with a known xenophobic group? Johnson, you're not thinking clearly. You've suffered captivity and torture,...you need to take some time off. Maybe it would help you to see one of our doctors and talk about what you went through."

She was shaking her head even before he finished speaking. "No sir, there's nothing wrong with me emotionally or psychologically, I don't need a shrink; and the Roekaar are no longer xenophobic, that's all changed. Their mission now is rescuing captives from the kett and destroying exaltation facilities, which after my own experience is something I'm passionate about. Apex doesn't even _have_ a dedicated rescue team."

He folded his hands together on top of his desk and leaned forward, giving her a sharp look. "You could start one. I don't want to lose you, Johnson. We need all our people, and we've already lost so many."

She looked down at her boots, then glanced back up. "Sir...I'm honored by your faith in me, really, but I don't want responsibility for a squad of my own, I never have." Licking her bottom lip, she leaned forward slightly. "What if… Maybe I could be a part of a diplomatic, joint venture between Apex and the Roekaar? If I speak to Akksul, I'm sure he would be open to having us as allies, like what we've done with the Resistance."

Kandros tapped a claw against the metal desk, deep in thought for a moment. "I'm not sure I would ever be able to get official sanctions from Nexus leadership for something like that. But with you directly under my authority, as a covert operative..."

Kat laughed nervously. "You wouldn't really expect me to spy, would you? I don't think I can do that without a conflict of interest."

He chuckled. "No, I'm not asking you to spy, it's just something to satisfy paperwork. But if your new commander is open to sharing information, then that's something that would be a benefit to us all. I would expect you to keep this under your hat though. You report directly to me, as time and circumstances allow. Keeping the lines of communication open is paramount."

She blinked and shook her head in wonder. "Sir...I... _thank_ _you_. I didn't want to have to cut ties, but I didn't think I would have a choice if I wanted to pursue this."

Kandros slowly pushed to his feet and extended his hand, and Kat stood and grasped it firmly. "We don't abandon our own, Johnson, and we sure as hell never will under my watch."

She smiled, her eyes reflecting her gratitude. He keyed open his omnitool and tapped several commands, finally looking up.

"You have my private email, and it's secure, so anything you need to send, it'll be my eyes only. Keep me posted, Johnson, and stay safe."

Stepping back, she saluted crisply, and Kandros returned the gesture, then dropped his hand.

~o~

Akksul leaned against the stone wall and crossed his arms, watching the flow of people in and out of the city's marketplace; far busier and more bustling than the last time he had visited. It had been three long weeks since Katherine had left him to return to the Nexus, feeling she owed her people a final report and an honorable leave-taking, instead of just staying with him without explanation. He didn't like it and hadn't wanted her to leave, a small part of him afraid that they would talk her into staying there, but he understood the need to tie up the loose ends of her old life.

His eyes narrowed as a silver shuttle came into view, gleaming in the light, emblazoned with the symbol of the Andromeda Initiative. It hovered over a landing pad before setting down gently. He took a step forward, anticipation rising in him, his bioelectrics swelling in response, causing the angara close to him to shoot him curious looks.

The door of the shuttle rose slowly, and Akksul felt his breath leave him when he saw her step out, a large bag slung over her shoulder. She stopped and tipped her face up to the Aya sun, closed her eyes and smiled, her pale hair waving in the breeze and turning to molten gold with reflected light. She had never looked more beautiful.

His feet were already moving by the time she opened her eyes and spotted him, a bright smile breaking across her face. Kat dropped her bag and ran, meeting him at the bottom of the stairs with a squeal of excitement. Akksul laughed and lifted her in his arms, pulling her flush against him and kissing her with all the hunger, desperation and longing for her he had suffered during her absence.

"Katherine, _mpendwa_ ," he whispered between kisses, slipping into his home language with the strength of the feelings swelling within him. "I could not breathe without you."

She smiled up at him, her face glowing with happiness. "Akksul, I have so much to tell you! I missed you like crazy, but I know it was the right decision to go back when I did." Glancing around at all the eyes on them, she laughed quietly. "Maybe we should go somewhere more private, we've turned into a sideshow here."

He scoffed and reached down, filling his hands with her generous backside and pulling her more firmly against his body. "Let them look. You still have your clothes on." He smirked and hovered just above her lips. "For now."

Kat kissed him lingeringly then shook her head at him in amusement, pulling away. "Let me grab my bag."

He quickly relieved her of it and carried it to the shuttle waiting for them, then took her hand to lead her back into the heart of the city and through the crowded market. Kat looked around with interest when he pushed open the door to the museum and smiled mysteriously.

"Come, there is someone very special I want you to meet."

~o~

Kat fidgeted on the edge of the bench where she sat next to Akksul, watching the Aya landscape flash past through the front window of the shuttle as they drew closer to his family home, her anxiety growing by the minute. Her leg bounced with nervous energy, the occasional flare of blue apparent around her hands.

Akksul was sprawled beside her, legs stretched out and arms crossed while he watched her, one side of his mouth lifted in amusement. Turning and catching his expression, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"How can you be so calm when I'm freaking _out_ over here?"

He leaned his head to rest back against the wall of the shuttle. "It is my family, what do I have to be nervous about?"

She clasped her hands tightly together in her lap. "What if they don't like me? Wouldn't they prefer that you bring a pretty, pink angaran girl home to meet your moms?"

He chuckled quietly. "After all Zareena has told them about your kindness and bravery, you should be more concerned about an overabundance of affection." He smirked and lifted a teasing brow ridge. "And you are a _very_ pretty pink, but mostly only where I can see."

She gaped at him and shook her head, the hint of a blush coloring her cheeks. "That's not helping!"

"No?" He looked at her with eyes that smoldered. "Come climb onto my lap and I will quickly help you to forget your worries, in other, more pleasant ways."

Kat shot a significant glance toward the front of the shuttle to indicate the pilot. "Not happening, big boy. I don't perform for anyone but you." She shook her head and sighed. "Tell me some of their names again."

He placed his hand underneath the fall of her hair to rub soothingly at the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders and began reciting the many names of his large family.

~o~

As they stepped off the shuttle, Kat was still muttering under her breath as she took in the array of buildings that made up his family's living complex, more resembling a modern village to her than anything else. "And your younger brother is Hashaan, and your true mother's name is..."

Zareena shrieked in delight while she ran to them and barreled into Kat, nearly knocking her off her feet in her enthusiastic embrace. She grasped Kat by the shoulders, both of them laughing while she looked at her human friend with shining eyes. "Katherine! I cannot believe you are really here now."

She turned to hug Akksul and gave him a teasing grin. "I was worried that you would hate my friend with how much you have always despised aliens, brother. I am happy that was not true."

Akksul looked at Katherine with affection and smiled down at his sister. "I have not developed a sudden love for all aliens, Zareena, only for this one."

Kat snorted. "Yeah, well, we'll have to keep working on that, big boy."

Zareena grabbed them both by a hand and tugged them forward toward the loud throng of angara approaching them. Kat smiled as she was quickly swallowed up in the noisy shouts, hugs and shoulder slaps that was Akksul's family. It was complete chaos, but looking across all the faces to see Akksul grinning at her, she laughed and decided to embrace the madness.

~o~

Nalah joined her son by the window where he stood sipping a drink and looking out at Zareena and Kat, sitting in the grass laughing and talking while surrounded by many of the little ones. One of his youngest cousins, Adea, lay in Katherine's arms, stretched across her lap, small head pillowed against a soft breast while she sucked her fused fingers and looked up at the human contentedly.

Smiling at the scene, Nalah turned her attention to her son's face and the rare look of joy that shone from his eyes. He had not worn such a soft and tender expression in a very long time, and her own eyes filled with tears of gratitude as she looked again at the small woman that was Akksul's sole focus.

"Yeye ni uzuri kifahari, ingawa mwanadamu." _She is an elegant beauty, though human_ , Nalah spoke in their home language. "Je, unampenda?" _Do y_ _ou love her?_

Akksul nodded, finally turning to face Nalah. "Ninampenda, mama yangu wa kweli." _I do love her, my true mother._ His eyes strayed back to Kat, unbidden. _"_ Katherine hujaza moyo wangu kwa furaha." _She fills my heart with joy._

She caressed his face with a gentle hand. "Nina furaha kwa ajili yenu mtoto wangu" _I am happy for you, my son._

Nalah turned back to look out the window. "Yeye ni binti yangu sasa." _She is my daughter now._

Wrapping his arm around his true mother's shoulders, Akksul grinned. "Zareena atapendezwa." _Zareena will be pleased._

His brother, Hashaan, came up and slugged him on the arm and nodded toward Kat. "Mimi kama yake, ndugu. Yeye ni mzuri." _I like her, brother._ _She's pretty._ Hashaan smirked and raised a brow ridge. "Gani yeye na dada yeyote kama yake?" _Does she have any sisters_ _like her_ _?_

Akksul blinked in surprise at the unexpected question, then threw back his head and laughed, the easygoing approval and acceptance of his family for Katherine, warming him from within.

~o~

Kat glanced down to where Akksul's hand firmly engulfed her own and smiled. Night had fallen, and after a very loud but enjoyable dinner with more people than she could easily count, they had finally stolen away from the family compound for a late night stroll, a little privacy, and hopefully a chance for Kat to catch her breath and process the day.

Akksul sat down on the grass, his back coming to rest against a large tree and pulled Kat into his arms, her back resting against his chest. Nuzzling against the side of her neck he drew in a contented breath, filled with her scent mingled with the thick humidity of the night air.

She looked at the bright stars glittering in the sky, tilting her head to allow Akksul's wandering lips easier access, unable to stop her grin when he hit a ticklish spot that sent a shiver down her spine. She felt his smile against her skin before he spoke.

"Was meeting my family as difficult as you anticipated, _mpendwa_?"

Angling herself until she could see his face, she shook her head. "No, not really. Mildly terrifying at first, but surprisingly wonderful. Plus, I love getting to spend time with Zareena again." She stroked a hand down his neck flap on one side and across a thickly muscled shoulder, then glanced up to meet his eyes.

"What does _mpendwa_ mean? That's the second time you've used it, and it isn't translating..."

He grasped her chin and pulled her closer, kissing her softly, then speaking quietly as he continued to kiss along the corner of her mouth. "It means dearest. It is my home language that I grew up speaking, therefore the language of my heart."

Kat smiled, enchanted. "It's beautiful. Say something else, I like to listen to you."

Akksul dragged his lips across her jaw. "Nataka kukubusu." His hand cradled the back of her head, fingers carding through her hair. "I want to kiss you."

He pulled her even closer against him. "Mimi natamani wewe. I desire you." His warm breath ghosted across the exposed skin of her neck and collarbone.

Her breathing was quickly becoming ragged from both his seductive words and his touch, a combined assault on her senses. Laying her down against the cool grass, his hand slipped beneath her shirt, his touch a familiar vibration of heat, calling forth her own desire like a siren song.

"Ninataka kutomba wewe usio maana," he said roughly, kissing her with increased desperation.

She could feel her heart banging inside her chest, and an echoing throb between her legs when he ran his fused fingers firmly across her center.

By the time Kat realized he had not translated the last thing he said, she was bare from the waist up and well on her way to being completely naked, thanks to Akksul's nimble fingers.

"Wait," she finally managed to gasp. "What..." Her words trailed off into a moan before she was able to command her voice again. "What was that last thing you said?"

His eyes were dark with the shadows and only the illumination of the stars when he looked up from where he was kissing his way to her belly button, but his smirk was easily discernible.

"I said I want to fuck you senseless."

Kat laughed breathlessly in response, a zing of anticipation tingling in her belly.

~o~

Sometime later, she lay completely boneless beneath Akksul, her eyes closed as pleasure still coursed through her, unable to move or hear any sound beyond the rush of blood in her ears, when she realized he had actually managed to accomplish it. Unbelievable.

Smiling, her eyes slowly drifted open to find him watching her with a smugly knowing grin, and she huffed a weak laugh.

"Okay, so you actually _are_ capable of temporarily overpowering all of my senses. I'm impressed."

Akksul laughed loudly and shifted so he was lying on the ground with Kat held against him, her head pillowed on his shoulder and bicep.

"You know I enjoy a challenge, Katherine, and your cries of delight are a rich reward." He leaned over to capture her lips again, whispering against her lips as his eyes stared earnestly into hers.

"Ninakupenda, mpendwa. I love you, dearest. My heart will forever beat with the song of joy you brought me from across the stars."

Her eyes grew misty and soft with feeling. "I love you so much, it hurts. I didn't know when I began the journey to Andromeda, that I would finally find the ultimate destination in you, Akksul. Something I was always unconsciously looking for."

He gently stroked her hair away from her face, smiling tenderly. "And what is it that you've found in me, beloved Katherine?"

"Home," she said solemnly, wrapping her fingers around his. "With you I'm finally home."

~o~

**Epilogue**

Jaal Ama Darav ran a hand across the top of his head wearily, steadily working his way through the seemingly endless backlog of messages he had not had time to look at in weeks. The strain and difficulty of not only finding the last of the missing Arks, but the disturbing discovery of a new and terrifying enemy that had nothing to do with the kett had left little free time to indulge in the mundane. Fortunately, the loss of life had not been as great as they had all feared, and the addition of the new races of Quarian, Volus, Drell and Hanar on the Nexus and Meridian brought some happiness and relief to an otherwise grim mission.

He deleted yet another useless message as Sara emerged from the shower in her favorite lounging clothes of shorts and tank top, her hair still damp. "Your tea is on the table, darling one," he said absently, opening a strangely titled message.

She took an eager sip. "Mmmhhh, thanks Jaal. It's perfect, as always."

He scowled at the screen before glancing at Sara. "What is 'erectile dysfunction', and why would I need to buy a cure for it?"

Laughing, she reached for the data pad on the bedside table then leaned back against the small mountain of cushions on their bed and smirked. "It's nothing you'll ever need to worry about, big guy. All your equipment is in _perfect_ working order."

"Ah, I see." Understanding lit his face and he shot her an amused smile before turning back to the screen. When a new message alert popped across the display he clicked on it eagerly, noting it was from the Moshae. He quickly read the message, his brow ridge furrowed in confusion until he clicked on the photo attachments.

"Sara," he gasped, leaning forward until his face was inches from the screen, his eyes wide in disbelief before he threw his head back and howled with laughter. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, he turned to Sara, who was watching him with a confused smile.

He beckoned her urgently. "Come! Come quickly, my darling one, and see what the Moshae has sent us. You will never believe it!"

She tossed the data pad aside and rolled off the bed, pulled down onto Jaal's lap as soon as she reached the desk. Stabbing a finger at the image on the screen, he laughed again, the vibrations strong against her.

Sara stared in shock. "Is that….?"

"Yes!" Jaal shouted, his laughter infectious and sending her into helpless giggles while she tried to make sense of the photos in front of her.

"But he's _kissing_ a… She's human!"

"I know! It is shocking, but it must be true. The Moshae would not joke about this."

Reading through the Moshae's message, Sara shook her head. "Ho. Lee. Shit. So, the crazy bastard found love. I guess I'm a little glad I didn't shoot him now, but only a little."

Jaal kissed the bare skin of her shoulder and pulled her tighter against him. "Perhaps he has learned the joys of human female companionship, and it was enough to overcome his hate."

She rolled her eyes. "More like girlfriend there discovered the awesomeness of having an angaran lover. Smart cookie."

Jaal nuzzled her neck and sucked her earlobe into his mouth. "Your lover wants you to take off your clothes now, so he can lick you like a lollipop."

Laughing, Sara shivered. He knew every one of her most ticklish and sensitive spots and mercilessly exploited them. "I really think that's my line, but I'm game if you are."

He smirked and reached out for the display and the screen went dark.

~o~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks so much to everyone that followed this, both on AO3 and FFN, and for all the great comments/reviews. Your enthusiasm and interest in this story really helped my inspiration so I could finally finish this.
> 
> For anyone interested, I'm immediately putting up a fluffy Evfra drabble which I wrote months ago. It takes place much later in Kat and Akksul's timeline, which is why I couldn't post it until I finished this story. :)


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